Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world.
In fact, between 28 million and 35 million people participate in golf worldwide. The United States alone tallies 12.8 million over the age of 18 playing it at least eight times a year. Whether it's spending a leisurely Sunday afternoon at the local par-3 course or intensely competing in a professional tournament, golfers can be spotted in impressive numbers these days. Not only have the participant numbers reached new levels, so too has the game itself. Once thought of more as a mental pursuit than a physical one, golfers have come to understand the increasing importance of the body's role.
"Today's golfers, especially the competitive ones, need to have a developed upper body," says Newburgh, N.Y.-based chiropractor John Fischer, a self-proclaimed golf junkie who works on a large number of golfers. "This whole phenomenon really started to be pushed around the time Tiger Woods came on the scene in the mid '90s and changed the game, making it a whole- body activity. Most involved in this sport are realizing if they don't lift weights and strengthen their core muscles, they will hurt themselves."
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Do you stretch before, and in between, your golf games? Proper warm up and stretching can decrease your risk of golf injuries.
Check out these helpful stretching exercises from the Mayo Clinic.
