Yoga for golfers: The basics of stretching

Included in this article is a clear explanation of flexibility, the benefits, guidelines for a successful yoga practice (this is an excerpt from my book Yoga for Golfers (McGraw-Hill 2005) as well as a basic, yet somewhat challenging, warm-up routine to get you started.

Note: Thank you to the staff at Stretchmate for some of the information in this article.

What is Flexibility?

"Flexibility exercises should be incorporated into the overall fitness program sufficient to develop and maintain range of motion."
American College of Sports Medecine (ACSM)

There are several workable definitions of what flexibility is. The simplest are "freedom to move" and "the capacity of a joint to move fluidly through its full range of motion". According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), flexibility is "the normal extensibility of all soft tissues that allow the full range of motion (ROM) of a joint". Flexibility needs to occur in all three planes of motion. Therefore, for optimal overall movement, muscles must be actively stretched standing up and moving in these planes.

Stretching muscles is recognized as the easiest and safest way to maintain and/or increase flexibility.

Benefits of Stretching

1. Reduces the risk of injury
2. Reduces muscular tension
3. Maintains the normal functional length of all muscles
4. Eases joint stress
5. Increases joint range of motion
6. Corrects muscle imbalances
7. Improves movement patterns
8. Improves overall functional ability and freedom of movement
9. Enhances posture
10. Develops better body awareness
11. Decreases soreness
12. Promotes circulation
13. Allows you to feel and perform better
14. Helps improve balance and stability