Your golf swing is primarily about proper body mechanics. A good golf swing requires the full rotational capacity of nearly every joint involved and needs to be done with relative ease. When your body attains its optimal range of motion, your best swing will be performed efficiently, easily, explosively and repeatedly. Many golf swing faults are directly attributable to poor joint mobility, resulting from soft tissue restrictions. Soft tissue includes: muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, and fascia.

In order for a joint to move smoothly, the muscles which cross that joint must precisely coordinate contraction on one side with elongation on the other side. When this synergy (or balance) of any of the muscle groups is altered (mostly short and/or tight), the movement patterns of the joint are usually restricted.

This is exactly what Whole Body Vibration does; it works by transferring vibrations from an oscillating platform to muscles throughout the body, enabling them to contract and relax multiple times per second in a reflex action. Any static or dynamic pose, held for up to 60 seconds at a time while vibrating on the Whole Body Vibration platform, activates targeted muscle groups, simultaneously improving muscle strength, power, flexibility and range of motion; all contributing to optimal performance on the course.

Whole Body Vibration exercise increases blood flow and oxygenation to the muscles, prompting both elasticity and explosive power. It also loosens adhesions, which positively influences flexibility and range of motion even more. By alternating between different postures and poses on the Whole Body Vibration machine it is possible to target and stretch specific muscles and muscle groups.

The Golgi tendon organs are activated during Whole Body Vibration training, which promotes a high measure of relaxation (tendon-reflex). Another advantage to this activation is that muscles are lengthened in a functional and active position, allowing for additional range of motion and explosive muscle strength.

Avid golfers are constantly looking for new ways to get more distance out of their shots. Rather than searching for that new, highly-touted driver, consider some Whole Body Vibration exercises to increase the range of motion in your golf swing. Here are four simple stretching exercises to do on a Whole Body Vibration platform to loosen up and prepare you for your game…

• • Arm Circles: Performing arm circles while vibrating on a Whole Body Vibration plate will help loosen shoulders and make them more flexible…Raise both arms out to the side. Begin with small circles at a slow to moderate pace, don’t bend your knees so as to allow the vibrations to travel up your sides and into your arms. Increase the size of the circles gradually as you continue. Keep your hands light and loose. After 15 seconds, reverse direction and repeat the process.
  • Back Twist: This exercise works well to strengthen core muscles while reducing lower back stress and increasing spinal flexibility…Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart, breath in and raise the arms in front at shoulder height, palms facing each other and stretch. Keep your arm straight (if you are twisting to the left, keep your right arm as straight as possible so you can benchmark how far you progress. Breathing out, twist the spine and the arms to the left, keeping the hands parallel to each other and the feet firmly planted on the platform. While vibrating, breathe deeply…you’ll find that with each breath you’ll be able to twist a little further. Twist as far as you can and hold for 15 seconds and let the machine do the work. It will stretch all the muscles from your feet to your neck and will loosen you up. Once you hold for 15 seconds, twist further until you can’t twist any more, then hold for another 15 seconds. Do this in at least 4 different arm positions (about 1 minute per side). This exercise will release the tension built up in the entire body, especially the lower back area. Repeat, this time twisting to the right and follow the same procedure.
  • Upper Trunk and Shoulder Twist: This exercise will help to increase the rotational flexibility in your body for an improved back swing and follow-through…Place both hands on a golf club shaft, slightly more than shoulder width apart, the feet should also be shoulder width apart as you hold the club extended over your head. Lean your body to one side, feeling a stretching on the opposite side. Hold this position for a moment and then lean to the other side. Each side should be stretched 3 times while breathing slowly and deeply.
  • Pelvic Tilt: This exercise really gives the 3 core muscles that are indispensable to bodily stability a thorough workout. These core muscles constitute the bulk of the power behind your golf swing. The pelvic tilt develops support for the lower back, abdominals, and sacroiliac joint along with adjacent structures increasing spinal stabilization…As you let your breath out, tuck in your stomach and squeeze the buttocks together as if you were squeezing a nerf ball. An effective pelvic tilt will utilize this leverage begun when the abdomen pulls in during exhale. Just continue the pulling and see how far you can tilt the bottom of your pelvis up. This will result in your low back gently stretching its core muscles. Next, inhale deeply and come back to a neutral or start position. Allow the spine and pelvis to relax and return to their original position, then repeat.

Due to the positive response from professional golfers a Whole Body Vibration machine has been placed in the PGA tour bus to help competitors train and warm-up before rounds. They have also found that after a long and strenuous round of golf, a short Whole Body Vibration session will give an excellent leg massage.

In summary: A ten minute workout on a Whole Body Vibration platform is equivalent to 60 minutes of traditional exercise in a gym or fitness center. And it is an excellent way to warm-up and it gets your muscles flexible and ready for action. In addition to all the benefits listed above, a Whole Body Vibration workout will give you the edge over your competitors. It may not make your golfing buddies envious of the equipment in your bag, but they’ll certainly covet the extra yards you get off the tee.

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