by South Florida Golf Pro | Jun 28, 2023 | Golfing, Health Benefits of Golf
Welcome to Deer Creek Golf Club, where we believe that golf is not just a sport but a pathway to a healthier and happier life. While many people enjoy golf for its leisurely pace and social aspects, did you know that playing this beloved sport can also provide significant health benefits? We discuss the various ways in which golf can improve your physical and mental well-being. So, grab your clubs, step onto our beautiful fairways, and let us guide you through the health benefits of playing golf.
Playing Golf Helps Maintain Physical Fitness and Cardiovascular Health
Golf is a fantastic way to stay physically active and improve your overall fitness. Walking our course, carrying or pushing your golf bag, and swinging the club all contribute to burning calories and increasing your heart rate. A typical round of golf can cover a distance of four to six miles, providing an excellent low-impact cardiovascular workout. This consistent exercise helps lower the risk of heart disease, improve blood circulation, and maintain a healthy weight.
Muscle Strength and Endurance From Constantly Swinging a Golf Club
The repetitive swinging motion in golf engages various muscle groups, including the core, arms, legs, and shoulders. By regularly playing golf, you can develop strength, endurance, and flexibility in these muscles. The act of walking and carrying your clubs helps build leg and shoulder strength, while the twisting motion involved in swinging the club engages the core muscles. These physical benefits not only enhance your golf game but also contribute to better overall posture, balance, and coordination.
Stress Reduction and Mental Well-Being
At Deer Creek Golf Club, we understand the importance of mental well-being, and golf provides an excellent avenue for stress reduction. Spending time in the serene and picturesque environment of our course can help clear your mind and promote relaxation. The combination of physical activity, fresh air, and the beauty of nature has been shown to reduce anxiety, improve mood, and enhance mental clarity. Additionally, golf is a social sport that allows for camaraderie and friendly competition, fostering positive social connections that contribute to overall mental well-being.
Cognitive Function and Brain Health
When it comes to the health benefits of golfing, playing golf involves strategic thinking, problem-solving, and focus, which stimulate cognitive function and improve brain health. The game requires concentration, as you must analyze the course, adjust your swing, and make precise shots. These mental challenges stimulate neural pathways and promote brain health, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and conditions such as dementia. Golf also provides an opportunity to practice mindfulness and be present in the moment, further enhancing mental clarity and well-being.
Increased Vitamin D Absorption
There are many golf health benefits, but one of the main benefits is exposure to natural sunlight, a great source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is crucial for maintaining healthy bones, supporting the immune system, and reducing the risk of certain diseases. Just remember to protect your skin with sunscreen and appropriate clothing to avoid overexposure to the sun’s harmful rays.
Come Play at Our South Florida Golf Course
When you play golf at Deer Creek Golf Club, you are not just enjoying a game; you are investing in your health and well-being. From improving physical fitness and cardiovascular health to reducing stress and enhancing cognitive function, there are many health benefits of golf. So, make it a habit to play more often and experience the positive impact on your mind and body. Learn more about the tee times and rates at one of the best courses in South Florida, where you can enjoy the beauty of our course while reaping the incredible health benefits of playing golf. Start your journey to a healthier life today!
Give us a call today to learn more about our membership options and available times to come and play a round or for any other questions you may have. Our expertly crafted golf articles provide valuable tips and insights to help improve your game.
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by South Florida Golf Pro | Dec 7, 2022 | Deer Creek Golf Club, Fun Golf Facts, Golf News, Golfing, Health Benefits of Golf
As the weather cools down almost everywhere else in the country, South Florida becomes the hot spot for snowbirds to stay warm for the winter. At Deer Creek, we know many people will be eager to dust the snow from their golf clubs and get out on the course. Golf is considered a safer, accessible sport, but it requires skill and concentration above power. This doesn’t mean injuries can’t happen.
Lower back injuries are common in amateurs. If the player has a poor swing and lacks training, then the likelihood of an injury can be higher. Our experts at Deer Creek have some tips for back exercises for golf to help prevent injuries and keep your back safe.
Golf Swing For Bad Backs
The leading cause of back injuries is poor swings and not having the proper conditioning. The way golfers swing can cause stress on the back if the player leans forward too much, twists, and bends on the side. These pressures can be minimized by using our tips and some of the best stretches for golfers.
Swing Tips:
- Slow down your swing, even when swinging through the ball
- Stand just a few inches closer to the ball
- Turn your inside foot out; this will help get the hip to turn
- Choose narrower stance
- Play the ball to the center of your stance
- Taking a shorter backswing will prevent the spine from twisting too much
- Let the outside heel float
- Keep weight balanced
Best Exercises For Golf
Deer Creek’s experts have put together some exercises to help strengthen your back to relieve some of the back pain after golf or before! A lot of the following exercises have a lot to do with strengthening your core to help strengthen your back.
Planks
This is one of the top exercises we recommend! All it takes is holding a pushup position. Start by tightening your torso so that your stomach doesn’t sag to the ground. Hold this position for as long as you can, rest, and repeat. For beginners, start by holding it for 10 seconds at a time.
These can be done weighted or with body weight and can be done without a gym membership and equipment.
Seated Rotations
This type of exercise can help limber up the lumbar spine, which will help keep your back safe with every swing. Rotation is a major part of golf; it’s almost everything!
To do this exercise, sit in a chair or on a bench, grab a golf club, and hold it on your shoulders behind your neck. This will keep your posture good during the exercise. Now, without moving your hips, slowly start to turn your upper body side to side, stopping at the center each time. Repeat ten times. This can also be done as a warm-up before tee time!
Glute Bridges
This is the type of exercise not only for the core or lower back; it also activates the gluteus maximus muscles and stretches the hip flexors. There is a condition called an anterior pelvic tilt; this is when the “wing” of the pelvis points down toward the floor. Pelvic tilt can lead to problems with walking mechanics and lower back pain.
Contact Deer Creek Today!
If you are interested in learning more about our golf tips are ways to improve your game, check out our golf school or contact us today! And if you are ready to join our family, you can learn about our memberships here.
by South Florida Golf Pro | Nov 21, 2018 | Golfing Tips, Health Benefits of Golf, Uncategorized
Golf Exercises for Seniors
Being a senior, you’re most likely craving to get active and fresh air. What better way to do so than by playing golf! As a popular sport among seniors, it’s a great way to spend time with friends and family while benefitting your health. However, if you want to get the most out of your golfing session, try out these golf exercises for seniors to improve strength and flexibility.
Stretch and Strengthen Ankles
Let’s go from the bottom up! While in a seated position, rotate your ankles (both clockwise and counterclockwise). To stretch your ankles even more, try out calf raises. Though it seems like you’re not stretching your ankles directly, it’s also important to stretch out the surrounding muscles.
Quadriceps
Improve your balance and rotation mimics with this quad stretch and torso rotation. This exercise for seniors will benefit their golf swing. You can also use a wall to help you balance yourself while doing this exercise.
Hips
To strengthen your hips, do squats and lunges. Stretching your hips can contribute to a better range of motion when golfing. Doing hip drops and seated hip stretches [1] are great for improving the flexibility in your hips.
Shoulders
Using a rowing machine at the gym or doing dumbbell rows can strengthen your shoulders. If the dumbbell rows are too intense, opt for a very low weight or none at all. Work your way up from there to get stronger shoulders. Give your shoulders a good stretch by doing easy rotations back and forth to improve range of motion.
Yoga for Senior Golfers
When you think of golf, yoga doesn’t come to mind. Nevertheless, it’s a great way to warm up fifteen to twenty minutes before your game. The chair pose strengthens your ankles while improving your balance. If you want overall strength, the warrior pose targets your arms, legs, ankles, and core.
Golfing is a popular sport, especially among seniors. You deserve to enjoy the sport and strengthened, flexible muscles can help with that. Yoga for senior golfers is a great way to start your game while golf exercises for seniors to improve strength and flexibility can provide long-term benefits for your golf game. Want to know more about golf exercises and yoga for senior golfers? Feel free to contact our South Florida golf course!
Sources:
[1] Mayo Clinic – Golf Stretches
by lana | Dec 26, 2014 | Golfing, Health Benefits of Golf
Golfing for Therapy
Whether you need mental relaxation or an easy transition back into physics movement after an injury, golf has a variety of therapeutic benefits. There are several ways that golf can serve as a therapy tool. If you are looking for the therapeutic benefits of golf, here are some ways to enjoy the maximum benefits.
Mental Health Therapy
Social skills
Short Term Memory and Long Term Memory Skills
Sequence
Stress alleviation
Processing
Calculating
Decision Making Skills
Physical Therapy
Low Impact Strength and Endurance
Standing Tolerance
Balance
Surface Variation
Grip Strength
Right/Left Stroke Recovery
The benefits will vary from person to person, but the low impact and calming atmosphere on the golf course are a great environment for physical and mental rehabilitation and therapy.
by lana | Dec 12, 2014 | Golfing, Health Benefits of Golf
Reduce Holiday Stress with a Game of Golf
The holidays are a busy, but also exciting time of the year. In the midst of the holiday madness, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and get stressed out. While there a variety of ways that some people choose to alleviate stress–from going for a run, to taking a hot bath, to shopping, and maybe even to having a drink–we’ve got a suggested coping mechanism for stress that is a healthy and relaxing alternative. Hit the golf course! While golfing can be a stressful experience at times, it’s also a very relaxing and mentally stimulating experience that has a variety of overall health benefits.
Doctors also have expressed the belief in golf as a form of stress relief. Spending a few hours on the course each week helps you hone your focus, concentration, patience, and mental clarity. Aside from helping you deal with stressful situations when they arise, it can also help you prevent being stressed out in general. Golf teaches you to compartmentalize, which is a key part of remaining calm under pressure.
To aid in the anti-stress benefits of golfing, we have a few recommendations:
Put together a playlist of soothing tunes to listen to while you play, if you are playing solo.
Remember to relax. Even if you are trying to beat your personal best, remember that it is still a game and you should focus on challenging yourself, not getting upset.
If you play with partners, play with people who put you in a good state of mind.
Dress comfortably, and try to exist only in the moment.
Keep your cell phone turned off, or if you can, in the locker room while you are out on the greens.
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Thanksgiving at Deer Creek
by lana | Dec 10, 2014 | Golf Lessons, Golfing, Health Benefits of Golf
Golfing Benefits for Children
In a world filled with Playstations, iPads, and other electronic distractions, it is no surprise that many children to not get outside enough. The good news is that you can easily change this by enrolling your child in golf lessons. Children can develop a variety of important skills, both social and personal, through the game of golf. Among the benefits your children will take away from the greens, the most efficient and useful are listed below:
Social skills
Patience
Focus
Healthy competition
Problem solving skills
Sportsmanship
Honesty
Aside from these positive traits, there are other benefits your child would gain from golf, such as family outings on the golf course and the potential for athletic scholarships later in life. Setting a foundation in golf is also allowing for further business success as adults, as golf is a common pastime of many executives.
If you are thinking of enrolling your child in golf lessons, we recommend you come and check out the golf schools at Deer Creek.
