Golfers, do you play for fun or health?
Golf can hurt aged backs and limbs. Here’s how to keep playing longer, without the pain.
It’s estimated 15% of all golfers are seniors. Sure, retirees have more time to spend walking or carting up and down the fairways.
But for a game that is frustratingly difficult to master and potentially catastrophic to the ageing body, one wonders what swinging a golf club really has going for it.
Then again, golf is said to have health benefits – if only offering a chance to walk through someone else’s beautifully maintained outdoors.
For some seniors, golf offers a mental and physical challenge at a time when they are looking for a low-impact sport or hobby to occupy their time. Having a regular hobby to enjoy gives seniors something to look forward to and a skill to strive for.
So, do seniors play golf for physical health or something else?
One US study found the most important reasons were fun, a pleasant playing environment, and competition – with reasons related to health being relatively less important.
Women rated fun, a pleasant playing environment, and a feeling that participation made them part of a community as more important reasons for participating than males.
The researchers concluded that policies aimed at encouraging more older people into exercising and better health by getting them onto the golf course should promote aspects related to fun, a pleasant playing environment, and engagement in competition.
The problem with that strategy is that older bodies get injured.
Golf injuries usually result from improper mechanics in the swing and poor mobility or strength in key areas of the body.
Understanding common golf injuries and how to prevent them will help you make the most of your time on the links.
Most golf injuries happen repetitively over time from taking many swings with incorrect form.
If done effectively, the golf swing is a complex total-body movement – the whole body has to coil from ankles to neck and then unwind to strike the ball.
The most common injuries golfers face are sprains and strains which can lead to inflammation in joints, muscles, or connective tissue in parts of the body required for that swing.
Lower back injuries happen because the hips and mid-back don’t have enough mobility or flexibility resulting in the lower back compensating and getting strained.
Back injuries
Disk injury (herniated disk). Tearing or bulging of a disk, a cushion of tissue between the vertebrae in your spine
Sprain or strain. Stretching or tearing of a ligament, or an injury to a muscle in your back.
Shoulder injuries
Bursitis. Inflammation and swelling in the sac (bursa) that cushions your shoulder joint.
Rotator cuff tendinitis or pinched rotator cuff. Inflammation, rubbing, or pinching of the tendons in the shoulder.
Sprain or strain. Stretching or tearing of your shoulder ligaments, or an injury to the shoulder muscle.
Elbow injuries
Elbows play a critical part in your swing as you bend them on the backswing and straighten them on the follow-through.
Elbow injuries happen because of overuse that puts a strain on the joint. They include:
Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis): Inflammation of elbow tendons that causes pain in the inner part of your elbow.
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis): Inflammation of elbow tendons that causes pain in the outer part of your elbow.
Hip injuries
Good golf swing depends on hip rotation. Lack of flexibility in the hips can not only cause hip problems but lower back issues, too.
Common types of hip injuries and pain include:
Trochanteric bursitis. Inflammation and swelling in the bursa on the outer part of the hip joint.
Labral tissue problems. Pinching, straining, or tearing of the cartilage that holds the hip joint together.
Physiotherapists who specialise in golf say many injuries improve with rest and treatment of the pain and inflammation. But it’s important to address what caused the injury in the first place to avoid future flare-ups.
A physical assessment before you take up the sport and an exercise program and coaching on correct swing mechanics is important.
Regardless of your personal strengths and weaknesses, these steps help prevent injuries:
Warm up and take practice swings. Instead of arriving at the course right before your tee time, get there early and take the time to stretch and then hit a few balls on the driving range to get your joints and muscles ready to play.
Stay active. This helps keep your joints mobile and your muscles strong.
Maintain mobility and stability. An exercise program that keeps the hips mobile is crucial as we age, as are exercises for the back, ankles, neck, and shoulders. If you don’t have enough mobility in those areas, your body overcompensates in other areas, which can lead to injury.
