For physiotherapist Mike Clermont, it is as sure a sign of spring as the first robin or the first delicate purple crocus peeking through what is left of the winter’s snow: middle-aged men start to show up in increasing numbers at Waterloo Sports Medicine Centre, where he works.
They complain of torn rotator cuffs; of lower back pain; of problems with their knees and elbows. He knows that golf season has begun.
“It happens every spring. They just were not in shape to do what they wanted to do,” he says. “They just were not fit enough to dive right into 18 holes after a winter of nothing more strenuous than sitting behind a desk.”
Which brings us to what the experts say is golf’s chicken-or-egg conundrum: Do you have to be fit to play golf properly or can golf indeed make you fit?
There is also a corollary, they add: Does being fit make you a better golfer or can the process of getting fit throw your game into the toilet? So, first: Does golf make you fit? It all depends on how you play it, say the experts.
Yes,says Joe Ross, a personal trainer and operator of Fit 4 Golf in Toronto, but he adds you have to follow a few basic rules.First, start with maybe half an hour of warm-up exercises to get the muscles stretched and ready for use.
“I tell people muscles are like cooked day-old spaghetti,” he says. “Try to twirl them around your fork cold and they break. Warm them up in hot water first and they bend.”
Then, always walk the course. Walking 18 holes is golf’s main exercise. Ride in a golf cart and you might as well have stayed at home and watched the game on television.
“Walking 18 holes burns off about 3,000 calories,” says Dr. Greg Wells, director of sports medicine for Golf Canada. “You will benefit from the sudden explosive movement of the swing but walking is the chief factor in a game of golf and fitness.”
Point three is to carry your own clubs or, if that does not appeal, use a push, not a pull, cart. Carrying the clubs means you burn off 15% to 20% more calories, says Dr. Wells. The idea of pushing and not pulling a golf cart is to prevent injuries, adds Mr. Clermont.
“Pulling a cart can damage your back and shoulders. Pushing one gives you additional exercise with less risk of injury,” Mr. Clermont says.
Finally, for it to be of any benefit at all, you have to golf at least four times a week. Repetition is always the key to getting fit through any sport or exercise program, says Mr. Ross. The downside, however, is that if you start from scratch after a winter spent doing nothing more strenuous than walking to the fridge for a beer between periods of televised hockey games, you may indeed not become fit until August is nearly over. Your pride in being fit will not last much beyond three days after you lay down your clubs for the last time in late fall.
“Once you stop any form of exercise, fitness starts seeping away after 72 hours,” says Dr. Wells. “That is when the body starts to shut down the flow of nutrients to muscles that are not being used regularly. It takes a lot of energy to maintain muscles, so if they are not Needed, the body says why be bothered supporting them.”
Within weeks you will be back to square one. So, yes, golf can make you fit, but it takes time; it takes at least four rounds a week and all the benefit starts to fade away at the end of the season. So do you need to be fit to play golf? No, but it is advised, the experts agree. “I always advise spending winter months in regular exercise programs,” says Henry Brunton, coach of the national men’s team for Golf Canada. “You can do yoga, Pilates or just go to a gym and work out three or more times a week. Being fit may not improve your game but you will be able to play longer without tiring, your concentration will be better and you will generally enjoy the game more.”
