Friday, January 30, 2009

Get an Enhanced Golf Swing with Massage Therapy

By Steve Esquire

If you play golf then you know the importance of having a good swing. Your swing makes or breaks your golf game. The follow through and mechanics of your swing are very important to long term success. To ensure you have a consistent swing, it is vital to warm up your muscles, joints and tendons prior to playing. Proper warm up consists of stretching, light exercise and massage. These are important to get your body prepared for the repetitive physical activity that it must perform. Now you may not know that a massage chair can be an effective part of your pre-golf game.

Golf although it is a low aerobic sport, still puts significant stress on the body. The repetitive nature of the swing puts disproportionate stress on the lower back, wrist, elbow, shoulder, knees and hips. These areas must work in tandem to produce a true swing. If there is tightness or soreness, then the body tends to compensate. This affects the outcome of your swing and where your ball will go. Proper warm up and stretching helps to loosen muscles and prepare them to work harmoniously together.

Now when you warm up you should be stretching out the following areas: back, arms, legs, hips, shoulders. Get a stretching routine down, so you work all the areas each time. You will want to do some warm up exercises and perhaps some walking to loosen the muscles. Massage therapy should also be included to loosen up the lower back, hips, shoulders and legs. Massage chairs are particularly effective in this regard.

You may not be familiar with the tremendous technology that has been integrated into massage chairs, but they can provide many effective massage therapies. You can select a Swedish, Shiatsu or deep tissue massage. These are effective in loosening your muscles, enhance circulation and also increasing mental awareness and concentration. Many top athletes get sports massages to help them maintain peak performance. It is important to drink a glass of water after getting a massage to help flush out the toxins released from your muscles.

Most golfers that I have met, complain about lower back pain. This is an especially important area for your golf swing. In fact, this is the pivot point of your swing. Your swing puts a lot of stress on this area as you follow through on your swing. Since you are doing this over and over throughout the day, you may start to experience some aching or discomfort. Getting a proper and adequate warm up is critical to easing this particular stress point. You want to stretch out the back, legs and hips. The application of heat is also beneficial. You may want to get some deeper tissue bodywork in the lower lumber to help you out.

Injury prevention is important for your long term golf game. Many injuries can be prevented and totally avoided. Some of the common causes of injuries are from poor swing mechanics, hitting the ground, too little warm up, over-swinging and twisting during the swing. Most injuries are related to the golf swing. This is where people can throw out their backs or swing too hard hurting their elbow. Most of these causes can be substantially reduced by performing a proper warm up. Know your body and keep in tune with it, so you do not over-exert and injure yourself.

Your golf game can really be improved with massage therapy as part of the warm up. Of course, warming down is also important. If you are playing a few times a week, then it is really important to establish a warm up routine. This way you make sure that all of your muscle groups are adequately prepared for the physical exertion. Most people think of getting a massage when the experience soreness or discomfort. Unfortunately, this is trying to fix the symptom rather than the cause. Massage has many benefits and can help improve your game and your golf attitude. The most convenient and economical way to add massage to your game is with a massage chair recliner. If your swing is on, then life is good. When your swing is off, well then you will need a lot of Mulligans. - 16738

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