Welcome to our new-and-improved Home Fitness series. Each week over the next three months, we’ll provide you with a workout you can follow to get you ready for the first round of golf come spring. We’ll cover everything from mobility to strength to functional fitness to help you get ready for that first round once the frost thaws.
Welcome back to Week 2 of Home Fitness: Mobility. This week’s routine will get you out of your desk chair and act as a nice break from your regular 9-5.
If your day job has you sitting down all day, this week’s mobility routine is perfect for you. It will help you loosen up your hips by targeting your hip flexors, which play a huge roll in powering up your swing.
Before you start, you will need a foam roller. If you don’t have one, a rolled up bath towel will work as a substitute.
Home Fitness Mobility – Week 2
Hip Flexor Foam Roll: If you sit at a desk all day, your hip flexors are probably tight, which inhibits the glutes from firing properly during your swing. To loosen them up, find the bony protuberance on the front of your hip and lay on top of it. Using the foam roller, apply pressure to the area. Slowly move the foam roller around your hip flexor, stopping for 20-30 seconds on any tender spots. Repeat on your opposite side.
Open Books: This active thoracic spine stretch will help you maintain good posture and improve your shoulder turn in your swing. Laying on one side, bring your top leg up so that it’s bent at a 90 degree angle with your arms out in front of you. Rotate your top arm and torso away from you, while keeping your top leg down. With each rep, try to go deeper into the stretch. Perform three sets of 10 per side.
Windshield Wipers: To really get your hips turning well this golf season, windshield wipers are a must. Sitting against a wall with your knees a little wider than hip width apart and your arms crossed over your chest, drive one of your legs inward as far as you can go, holding for three seconds. Make sure your butt stays in contact with the ground as you do this. Perform three sets of 10 reps per side.
Half-Kneeling Torso Turn: Find a wall and get into a half kneeling position. Place your foam roller between the wall and your forward leg. Cross your arms over your chest and rotate your upper body from side to side, keeping your lower body completely still. Repeat on the opposite side, doing three sets of 10 reps per side.
If you haven’t already done so check out Week 1 of our Home Fitness Mobility program and get yourself on track to have a great year on the course.
Rachel Bleier
Golf.com Editor
