Golf is an enjoyable and fun activity. It is a great way of staying in touch with old friends and making new ones. It can also be a great stress-buster — being outside, breathing clean air, walking and engaging in
Golf is an enjoyable and fun activity. It is a great way of staying in touch with old friends and making new ones. It can also be a great stress-buster — being outside, breathing clean air, walking and engaging in physical activity.
Walking an 18-hole course is roughly equivalent to walking four miles. If you do that several times a week you get a good amount of endurance exercise for your heart, especially if you carry or pull your clubs along. Certainly no one would suggest that golf is a strenuous activity, but because it is played at a more leisurely pace, it allows people of all abilities to engage.
Also, because golf is a leisurely undertaking, the risk of injury is low. Golf can help keep your muscles toned and help you lose body fat. It can also help you improve your concentration. In fact, a large part of successful golfing is learning to concentrate on swing techniques and focusing on the ball.
Because golf is a competitive game, it leads to goal formation. You can have friendly competition against your friends, but you can also just try to beat your own best score. Golf is a very popular worldwide sport. The 2005 estimate is that there are more than 32,000 golf courses in the world.
Some things to consider if you are thinking about taking up golf or if you are already an avid golfer: Common injuries are to the lower back, wrist, elbow, head and eyes. Causes of injury are overuse injuries, incorrect technique, hitting the ground rather than the ball, aggravation of a prior injury, falling and getting struck by a club or ball.
Some ways to avoid getting hurt are to consider some lessons to learn the fundamentals, do range of motion warm-ups before playing, stand back when anyone else is swinging, use good equipment that is properly fitted to you, wear sun screen and don’t play if it is very hot.
Make sure to stay hydrated. If you feel an injury stop playing immediately and get first aid. If you are really out of shape you may consider getting some conditioning exercises under the guidance of a trainer, such as myself, who understands the biomechanics of golf.
The 11th Annual Mokihana Golf Scramble is scheduled for April 21 at the Puakea Golf Course. This golf tournament raises funds to support nursing scholarships for student nurses going to Kaua‘i Community College. The fee is $90, which covers greens fees, cart, practice range balls, registration gifts and lunch at the Puakea Café. The event begins with a shotgun start at 8 a.m., with registration at 7 a.m. The format is a three person team modified scramble. You can call Patti at 332-5652 or Lil at 639-3480 for more information or to register.
Now you have the opportunity to not only to reap the benefits of golf but also to do some good in the community by helping students achieve their nursing degrees. You might even win a prize.
• Jane Riley, M.S., B.A., C.P.T., C.N.A., can be reached at janerileyfitness@gmail.com, 212-1451 or www.janerileyfitness.com.
