If you promised yourself that you would work on your fitness this year to improve your game, here are three ladies that can help you improve balance, flexibility and range of motion. I’ve organized the books from novice to the most advanced.
Slim Calm Sexy Yoga
Tara Stiles is a former model and aspiring ballerina turned yoga superstar. Tara’s New York yoga studio, Strala, is all the rage and she’s been called “the coolest yoga instructor ever” by Vanity Fair. While her new book, Slim Calm Sexy Yoga, isn’t designed for golfers, it’s a great starting point with big pictures and her amazing body will inspire you to keep at it. The book is organized into sections for specific qualities (such as balance and flexibility) as well as ailments (insomnia, depression, hangovers). The best part? She says that all it takes is 15 minutes a day. The book is about $15 on Amazon.
Yoga for Golfers
Yoga for Golfers, written by Katherine Roberts, is the original yoga/golf fitness guide. It not only helps you assess your current flexibility and fitness, but has three programs depending on your abilities (par, birdie and eagle). The book is divided into areas of the body – arms, abs, back, etc. – as well as into routines and exercises for on the course with clubs and carts. Roberts is a 20-year veteran in the fitness industry and has developed a yoga instructor program around this program. The only downside to the book is that the pictures are small black-and-whites and mostly of old men exercising. Purchase at Amazon for about $12.
Body 4 Golf
Body 4 Golf by Dawn Lipori is an in-depth body wellness guide for any sports enthusiast. She leads you through a battery of tests to see where you currently are and uses anatomical diagrams to show what’s happening internally. Although some of the exercises prescribed are yogic, others are ones you probably already do and the exercise charts in the back for helpful for tracking your progress. She’s also included great tips about how to keep your body aligned and working better (such as not carrying your luggage). Dawn, known as a “body mechanic,” has extensive experience in sports medicine and is the founder of the Lipori Manual Physical Therapy Center in Orlando. Her book is available on Amazon for $27.95.
Stretching image © SemA via Fotolia.
What do you do to stay in shape for golf?
Mostly yoga. I find that the balance, flexibility and mental focus are the perfect complement to golf. And you?
For me the game is effected by the overall condition of my body, how I’m feeling that day. I think any upside-down poses that send the blood back to the heart to purify would always be a good idea to help feel great on the green. And i’m down for 15mins/day yoga!