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Golf Exercises for Lower Back

-- August, 17 2021 at 01:51 pm ET

Golfer facing away with his hands at his lower back

Disclaimer: This article offers health, fitness and nutritional information and is designed for educational purposes only. You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it is right for your needs.

Back pain and back injuries are the most common in the game of golf. Throughout the swing, much pressure and rotation are exerted on the spine. The lumbar or lower spine is particularly susceptible to injury. As of now, Tiger Woods has had 5 back surgeries, his latest coming in December 2020.

To help prevent injury or pain, try these four exercises – two to stretch and two to strengthen.

Stretching Exercises

Lower-Back Stretch

What to Do

Lie flat on your back
Lift and bend your knees to the front of your chest
Reach your hands out and wrap your arms behind your flexed knees, hugging your legs towards your body
Try to position your head so that your nose almost reaches the tops of your knees

Tips: Hold this stretch for about 30 seconds, longer if it feels comfortable. While pulling your legs toward your head, try to relax your shoulders and neck. Once completed, carefully unbend your legs and use your core to return to the initial state of lying on back as you allow blood to flow into your lower back.

Cobra Pose

The Cobra Pose is a Great Stretch for the Lower Back and Core

What to Do

Lie flat on your stomach
Place your hands face down at the sides of your chest
Keep your feet flat and press them into the floor
Raise your chest off the floor while keeping your hips on the floor

Tips: Hold this stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. To advance the stretch, try raising your head and lifting your gaze upwards.

Strengthening Exercises

Bridge Pose

What to Do

Lie flat on your back with your arms relaxed and extended at your sides
Bend and lift your knees so that your feet are planted flat on the ground and your legs are aligned with your hips
Roll your shoulders down your upper back
Press into your heels and trying to use just your legs and hips raise your lower and mid back off the floor leaving only your upper back, shoulder blades and head touching the ground

Tips: Hold this pose for about 20 to 30 seconds while trying to increase your lift towards the end. A variation of this exercise would include doing 10 to 15 repetitions of slowly lifting and lowering your back in a controlled manner. You should feel this in your glutes and core, particularly your pelvic floor muscles which are located just beneath the spine.

Reverse Crunch

What to Do

Lie flat on your back with your arms relaxed and extended at your sides
Place your feet flat on the ground so that your legs are aligned with your hips and your lower legs are perpendicular to the ground
While maintaining the angle of your knees, use your core to lift your hips and legs up towards the sky until your lower legs are parallel with the ground
Return your feet to the floor

Tips: Start by performing 15 repetitions of this exercise. Once you increase your strength, you can increase the repetitions in accordance with your comfort level. You will feel this in your lower abdominals and lumbar back. The more controlled and steady your movements the more beneficial these crunches will be.

Try to develop a regular routine with these exercises. Not only will they reduce the potential for injury, but a strong core will improve your balance and may lead to both more consistency and power on the golf course.

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