Staying Active Over the Winter to Improve My Golf Game

Even as I’m about to enter my third consecutive year as a golfer, I still consider myself to fall right in the “beginner” golfer category. I love golf, but the more I play and the more I learn about the game, the more I realize I have yet to know. I think that’s what draws me to the game – I like working on improving my game, learning from other golfers and pros, and spending time with people in the same boat. 

One thing I’ve focused on in the last year is how I can stay ‘in shape’ in support of my golf game. I’m not talking about being a certain size, or weight loss, or anything like that – I really just want to be active and healthy so I can continue to play better, and also reduce the risk of any injuries. 

One of the things that appeals most to me about golf is that it’s a lifetime sport – I know a number of golfers at my local course who are playing in their 80s and even beyond. How do I make sure I am taking care of myself so that I have decades of good health and better golf ahead of me?

Many golfers get to continuously work on their game because they play year-round. Unfortunately, I’ve gotta scratch this one off my list. I live in the northeast U.S., and we have a long, cold winter.

While I really do love living somewhere with four distinct seasons, it does limit how much you can golf or work on your golf game over the winter. I think staying active with winter sports is important, but I have to admit I do go into hibernation mode at some points.

My family does love to ski & skate, but I definitely get less activity than I do in the summer, and I want to be more intentional so that when the golf season starts back up, I’m prepared to get out on the course.

Why Should You Take Care of Your Body When You Golf?

For those of you lucky enough to golf all year, you also know how important it is to take care of your body. On an average round of golf, a typical golfer might swing their club between 50-60 times. Making sure you focus on how to take good care of your body will keep you in better shape, and also:

• Reduces the risk of injury
• Strengthens your muscles and improves ability
• Good for mindset and mental health

There are plenty of resources to help beginner golfers learn the game and learn how to prevent injuries. 

• The PGA has a good overview of how to prevent golf injuries.
• The LPGA offers some tips for ‘self-care’ that go beyond physical health and support mental health, which are worth checking out.

Warming up, stretching after a round, and taking care to learn good form are important. I love learning from these resources, but I’m always curious about how someone who is truly a beginner actually incorporates some of these principles. And what about what you can do over the off season if you live somewhere like me? 

Staying Active: What I’ve Been Focused On

As a beginner golfer who really loves to play, I have been wanting to focus a bit more on what I can do to stay active as spring gets closer. This may be a very simple strategy, but anything more is probably going to overwhelm me. I’m starting small – maybe next year I’ll do more.

Keep in mind,  I’m sharing what works for me. And let’s be honest – it’s an ongoing process to keep myself focused on incorporating these activities in my life. A lot of other life priorities can wind up coming first: I’m a mom, I work full-time, I run a business, I need to take care of my house. I try really hard to incorporate some of these activities most of the time, but I definitely have stretches where I’m more likely to catch up on Bravo reruns than head outdoors. Everything in moderation, right?

I’ve found some strategies that either currently work for me or that I’d like to try soon, which I’ll share below. However, I’m still learning – so I’m really interested in what other golfers do in pursuit of the same goals. 

• Sleep: consistently get a good night’s sleep (7.5-8.5 hours for me)
• Exercise – stay moving. My biggest goal is walking and getting to 10,000 steps a day
• Yoga – more yoga always! I try to go once a week – right now I haven’t been in over a month, so this is something I’m addressing this week!
• Massage/Physical Therapy/Acupuncture/Chiropractor – spend some recovery time trying ‘bodywork’ or therapies to keep everything working smoothly, and to identify and address any areas of concern

Getting Enough Sleep

Winter is always a slower time for our family – the shorter days and less outdoor time means we spend more time in our house and plan less activities. I always hear how important sleep is for physical health in general. I used to track my sleep using an app, but I found it drove me a little crazy. Now, I just try to aim for 7.5-8.5 hours of sleep as much as I can.

Experts say we all need at least 7-8 hours of sleep, and sleep is associated with good physical and mental health outcomes. Women are more likely to suffer from poor sleep than men, and more likely to see the negative impact on their health, making it even more important to make sleep a priority. Even the pros focus on sleep – sleep helps with recovery and resilience, and allows top golfers to perform at their higher levels. 

For me, I’ve started by not using my phone in bed. I’ve been better about going to bed by 10, reading a book if I can’t fall asleep, and usually getting at least 7.5 hours of consistent sleep. There are definitely exceptions to this – but I’m trying to keep my regular routine like this more often than not.

Staying Active with Exercise

I am not one of those people who jumps out of bed to exercise, and I find it easy to talk myself out of going to the gym. But – I don’t like the way my body feels if I don’t take time to move and stretch. I’m starting to learn that it’s more important to figure out what works for me than to hold myself to a standard that works for someone else. Golf is one of those things that works for me – I love to be outside, to be with my friends, to be in nature – so I try to find other things I can do that have a similar appeal.

The best thing that works for me is just taking a walk outside. I tell myself – it doesn’t need to be intense – just keep your body moving. (And if you like intense exercise – good for you! Whatever keeps you motivated.) Walking has many positive health benefits, and my doctor is always happy with me when I tell her I’m getting my steps in consistently.

My goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day, but I don’t get there all at once. (And in any given week, I probably only hit that goal 3-4 times.) If I haven’t hit my goal in a while, I start by setting my base goal for 5,000, and work my way up, moving up 500 or 1000 steps when I’ve hit the previous goal consistently. Some people love treadmills – the Peloton treadmill has always intrigued me, and my neighbor loves her under-the-desk treadmill, which she walks on while she works. I just go outside and walk around my neighborhood. Even with a snowy/icy climate, most days the sidewalks or streets are clear enough and safe enough to walk.

You can find all kinds of equipment to keep you on track, but you don’t need any of that equipment to start! Right now I just track steps on my iPhone which is probably not that accurate. I do have an Apple Watch – the thing I use it most for is finding my phone – I’d like to charge it more consistently and use it more to track steps and activity. I also used to have and love a FitBit, but after it broke, I didn’t replace it. Sometimes I think I’d prefer it to an Apple Watch because it wouldn’t notify me of phone calls and texts – something I want to ignore when I’m getting my exercise!

During the golf season, it’s easier for me to hit steps – even when I use a golf cart, I get a lot of activity on the course. This season, I’d like to walk the course more often. Some of the women I golf with use watches specifically for golf – one day it might be useful to me, but I still count myself in the “beginner” category so I’m not there yet.

While I don’t use much equipment to get my steps in, I do love the Peloton App. The only thing I consistently use it for are classes that are essentially narrated outdoor walks. You can choose a class based on length, playlist and instructor, and you’ll be guided through an outdoor walk with different intervals, some motivation, and generally great music. I’ve actually surprised myself at how frequently I use the app – it helps me get going if I don’t feel like it. 

Another option is the FASTer Way – I discovered this program a few years ago, and loved the simplicity of lifting heavier weights and eating simpler foods. I saw great results in the rounds I did. Sometimes it’s hard for me to stay consistent now, but I love their workouts more than any of the other apps – they are quick, I don’t get bored, and you get to lift heavier weights! I also like that it’s not just a stock library of workouts. They have new ones each day for different skill levels. You’re also assigned a coach – my coach is Kris Mills, make sure to request her if you sign up. She’s the best, and cheers you on the whole way.

Practicing Yoga for Better Golf

Yoga can be a great activity for beginner golfers to enhance their golf game. There are even specific poses that golfers can focus on – I don’t pursue it that seriously yet, but maybe someday. For me, yoga counts in both the staying active and relaxing categories. I find nothing stretches me out or provides the relief that yoga does. I keep it simple – I love yoga classes in person, and I love the YouTube videos that Yoga With Adriene releases (all of her classes are great, and she even has a short practice specifically aimed at golfers here). I’m not trying to do anything acrobatic or intensely athletic.

For in person classes, I belong to a studio that offers hot yoga classes but I rarely take the advanced classes. My favorites are gentle hot yoga and candlelight yoga – specifically the classes that are mostly focused on the mat and include a lot of deep stretching. During the golf season, I find that these classes help work out some tense muscles or soreness that I can sometimes get after a round.

Yoga also helps me to sleep better, relaxes my mind, and sometimes addresses the neck and shoulder tension I have. I have a yoga teacher who says “Yoga makes the world a better place,” and I agree!

Yoga also helps with balance, flexibility and core strength – and studies show that enhancing these qualities lead to more power, greater distance and accuracy, and more successful golf shots. I think it will take me a long time to translate my downward dogs into a better golf game, but I like knowing that I’m heading in the right direction.

Bodywork: Massage, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Chiropractor

Some of the women I golf with swear by these therapies to keep their bodies feeling good. I’d like to try physical therapy this year – I have a spot in my back and shoulder that sometimes gets tense or sore, and I think it’s the result of an old sports injury. I have found that in the past physical therapy not only helps me to address the pain, but I also am able to learn new exercises or stretches that help me avoid the issue in the future 

I do love a good massage, but I have never really gotten massages consistently. I usually get 1-2 massages a year at a spa, usually because a friend or family member mentions going. I love it every time I go, but have a hard time committing to spending on massage more often. I know friends who get massages more frequently, from a physical therapy perspective. I’d love to incorporate this, and think I need to learn a little more about the different types of massage that might work.

Putting It All Together: Staying Active

So, while I don’t do all of these things every day or even every week, I find that focusing on them by keeping a list on the fridge, blocking out time in my planner, asking my kids to join me, and even writing a blog post about the importance of all of this – all keep staying active on my priority list. My hope is that after a looooong winter, I’ll be feeling pretty ready when I get back out on the golf course.

What works for you? Do you set goals or have specific things you do to stay active and in shape for golf – whether in the off-season or just generally throughout the year? I’d love any advice, tips or resources you might have – leave me a comment below.