How to Rock that Golf and Tennis Swing

Quick-and-easy fitness tips that can help you leave your competitors in the dust.

Golf and tennis fitness tipsPhoto via F1 Online/Thinkstock

This is such an exciting time of year: after those long, dark winter months, we finally get to spend some time outdoors. And of course, with that comes the chance to play those games and sports we’ve been away from for a few months — not least of which includes golf and tennis.

But that switch in activity also means that, at least for a lot of us, we’re changing up the muscle groups we’ve been working with for the past half-year, and with that can come some injuries. The best way to counter these types of injuries is to get strong before they happen.

This video we’ve put together can help get you reconditioned and ready for an active season quickly, meaning you’ll be a better player even sooner, whether on the links or on the court. It can also give you the opportunity to focus on building strength in the areas that these two sports focus on — core strength and flexibility — giving you up a leg up on your competitors before the season really gets underway.

One more thing to add is that this exercise and stretching set is even more fun — and a lot easier — when performed with a friend. So our recommendation is: familiarize yourself with the video content, and then grab your buddy and your tennis racquets (or golf clubs), and away ye go! As with any exercise, program, always follow a safe and effective warm-up period, followed by some stretching. Abdominals, lower back, glutes, hip flexors, quads and hamstrings are the big groups we use in this, so stretch each in turn for at least 30 seconds per muscle group. And, since repetition is key to developing muscle memory and growth, aim to repeat this exercise set at least two to three times per week.