By Adam Ridgewell, DO, ND

Here is the first tip of many more to come that may help you to switch on the inner core muscles that stabilize your lower back during rotational movements and re-train reflexes to prevent muscle strain!

Over the winter months, most of us become less motivated and therefore physically un-conditioned. Without consciously being aware of it, we have reduced the stimulus that our joints need to keep our brain informed of ‘where we are in space’, or our body’s position at any given moment. As a result, your reflexes to prevent any sudden muscle stretch (a ‘pulled’ muscle) become slower and less efficient. So, when we all rush out to the practice range and then onto the first tee box in under 10 minutes in response to the first ray of sunshine, there’s that all-familiar “stiff” feeling as we grunt through our first ten shots! Sure, you may not be as flexible as you were 5 years ago, but with the minimum of effort you can begin to ‘re-awaken’ those reflexes, by contracting your inner thigh muscles at address!

Research shows that your inner abdominal core muscles are actually neurologically linked to the muscles of your inner thigh. The two sets of muscles, although anatomically quite a distance from each other are directly linked up through the nervous system (average speed of communication of nerves = 120mph!). They are recruited almost simultaneously, so contracting your thigh muscles at address is a very quick and effective way to switch on your inner core muscles.

Please be aware that this is a fitness tip. For a fuller benefit, this should be an integral part of a corrective exercise program.

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 19th, 2008 at 11:15 am and is filed under Golf Fitness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.