There’s a balance to finding the perfect golf fitness program to get you ready for 2021

This article was published in partnership with GolfForever.

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The new year is almost here and with it comes a flood of resolutions that can honestly be pretty tough to stick to. 

If you’re looking to exercise more, get in shape, or have some variation of “get golf fit” on your 2021 to-do list, you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common New Year’s resolutions people make.

However, as a golfer you need to find a fitness program that will not only help you live a healthier lifestyle, but will also help you play your best.

Enter GolfForever, a digital fitness app developed by sports performance experts that offers a new way to get your body in golf shape so you have your best year on the course yet. Whether your goal is to gain distance, build strength, improve your mobility or just get in shape for golf season, GolfForever has a program suited to you. Right now, you can take advantage of an exclusive deal for GOLF.com’s readers and get $51 off a one-year subscription to help you get your body golf ready.

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$99 using exclusive promo code: GOLF99

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As someone who has been going through the program for about two weeks now, I can say that GolfForever feels like I’m getting a virtual personal training session in my tiny New York City apartment every day.

I’ve done plenty of online and app-based fitness programs, especially during 2020 when my gym shut down due to the pandemic, so I was a little wary of trying another program. However, from the moment I completed the initial fitness assessment, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. 

That’s because GolfForever works a little differently. As mentioned, when you sign up the app takes you through a relatively painless fitness assessment, asking you to do some pushups, planks, balance tests paying close attention to your form, while also asking about your goals for the year — the same thing the best personal trainers and physical therapists would do during your first session. 

Fitness

Based on your performance during this assessment, GolfForever then matches you with one of more than a hundred programs that is both suitable for your fitness level, the equipment you have available and your specified goals. GolfForever then provides you daily workouts to help you play your best golf.

For example, I learned from my assessment that I have a pretty strong core, but my balance is a bit suspect. That tracks with my tendency to sway instead of shifting my weight properly in my golf swing. It also tracks with my goal of improving my mobility, since balance and mobility go hand in hand. 

Based on the first two weeks of workouts I’ve done, it’s obvious the GolfForever program has heeded my assessment and wants me working on my balance. Every day’s workout is broken down into Fundamentals and Rotational Power. One of the most recent Fundamentals routines prescribed for me had a huge focus on balance, especially during the first exercise. So if you struggle with your balance like I do, watch the video below with GolfForever creators Dr. Jeremy James and Open champion Justin Leonard and give this exercise a try.

Neutral Spine March: Lying face up on with a foam roller running the length of your spine, brace your core and slowly lift your legs one at a time to march, keeping your back still. If you need assistance with balance, place your hands on the ground to either side of you. This exercise will also help you learn to move your hips independently of your core which will help you generate more power in your golf swing. Do 15-20 reps, alternating legs as you march.

There’s plenty more balance exercises (and strength, mobility and injury prevention exercises) where that came from, so check out GolfForever and make 2021 your best year on the course yet.