You don’t need fancy gym equipment or an expensive gym membership to reach your fitness goals and up your golf game. With some creativity and items, you may have around, it’s easy to break a sweat and get a great workout in without leaving the comfort of your home.
No Equipment Needed
Plank
Core strength is so important for your golf game and everyday life. A simple plank works multiple muscle groups including your abs, lower back, hips, and shoulders. There are many variations to doing a plank, but the most important thing is maintaining proper form.
Lay on your stomach and prop yourself up on your elbows and toes, pulling your abs up towards the ceiling. Keep your back straight and squeeze your glutes together. As you grow stronger you can hold this position for longer, but try first doing a few sets of 30-second holds with a 10-20 second break in between.
Pushups
Pushups are a terrific upper body exercise you can do anywhere and modify for your needs. For golfers, pushups strengthen your pectoral muscles and improve the stability of the tissues in your shoulders. Your rotator cuff muscles and deltoids are vital to controlling the club as you swing.
There are many variations to the pushup. Instead of going on your toes and arms, you can bend your knees or elevate your hands on a box or chair to make the pushup feel easier, or prop your legs on a chair to make it more difficult. No matter what version of a pushup you do, make sure to engage the core and tuck your pelvis to help protect your lower back.
Seated Rotation
A golf swing requires effective body rotation. To maximize the torque on your swing, a seated rotation is a great exercise to add to your routine since it helps the mobility in your thoracic spine.
Sit on a bench or backless chair holding a golf club. Hold the club behind your back with your arms so it’s sitting in the crooks of your elbows. Maintain good posture, feeling like a string is coming up from your head. Without moving your hips, rotate your torso to one side and hold for a few seconds before returning to the middle. Keep alternating from side to side completing 10 holds on each side.
Some Equipment
Squat
A strong, stable lower body helps generate more power in a golfer’s swing. Squats work your quadriceps, hip flexors, and glutes making for a powerhouse exercise. There are several different variations you can do both with and without weight. If you don’t have weights at home, your body weight still gives a great workout. Dumbbells or kettlebells are easy ways to build more strength. If you don’t have the equipment, try squatting with a backpack full of schoolbooks or a gallon of water; something you can safely hold to add more weight.
For a simple, traditional squat, start off with your feet hip-width apart. Then go back like you are going to sit in a chair, bringing your knees to a 90-degree angle. It’s important to protect your knees, so make sure they don’t extend past your toes. Vary up the squat by holding at the bottom of the squat for a few seconds or do some pulses.
Lunges with Rotation
Another way to help improve your golf swing speed and power off the tee are by doing a lunge with a rotation. Besides working your legs, this exercise will also engage your core.
Stand with your legs hip-width apart and step forward with one leg. Rotate your upper body to the same side and return to the starting position and do the opposite leg. Repeat on each side 10 times total to complete one set.
Doing this exercise with bodyweight works great, but you can also add additional weight. Use a medicine ball, dumbbell, or common household items like a large bottle of laundry detergent or a bag of your pet’s food.