Golf is a popular game amongst people of all ages, yet, it can tend to draw a more mature crowd. Being a non-contact sport, golf is a bit on the safer side and can be easier on the joints compared to other sports, such as soccer or basketball, as there is less impact than a sport such as running.
However, golf still has its great complexity and demanding challenges.
Golf requires excellent skill, mobility, stability, and strength, so staying fit and strength training are imperative to playing well. Strength training will not only improve your golf game but allow you to play for a long time to come.
Additionally, as strength and muscle mass diminish naturally with age, it is even more crucial for seniors to perform exercises to maintain and improve strength, balance, and even endurance.
In this guide, we have put together the 12 best golf exercises for seniors so that you can stay fit and play longer!
12 Best Golf Exercises for Seniors
These golf exercises for seniors combine all of the essential aspects of training and playing golf, including strength, stability, mobility, and coordination, focusing on the functional movements and primary muscle groups used specifically when playing golf.
Remember, before beginning any new workout regimen, you should always get clearance from your healthcare provider to ensure all exercises are compatible with your body.
Depending on your fitness level and goals, you can perform each of our golf exercises for seniors for 8-12 repetitions and 2-3 rounds.
Let’s start off with some excellent mobility exercises to warm up our muscles and loosen our joints:
#1: 90/90 Mobility Exercise
Hip mobility is crucial in golf, as you are constantly rotating with every swing. This one of our golf exercises for seniors will loosen your hips right up.
- Sit on the floor with your palms on the floor behind you for balance.
- Put your heels on the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees.
- Rotate your hips to your right placing your legs on the floor, the right leg in front of you bent at 90 degrees, and the left leg to the left side of you also bent at 90 degrees. Try to keep your glutes firmly planted on the floor.
- Return to the starting position and do the same on the other side.
- Alternate sides for 8-12 reps.
#2: Good Mornings
This exercise is a hip hinge that will work your hamstrings and core muscles. As you progress with this movement and improve your mobility, you can place a dumbbell on the top of your back, supported by your hands, to increase difficulty.
- Place your hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides.
- Bend your knees slightly, hinge your hips, and bring your glutes back.
- Keeping a flat back, lower down until you are parallel to the floor or to the point you can reach without rounding your back.
- Return to your starting position using your core and hamstrings to pull yourself back up. Squeeze your glutes when you reach the top.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
#3: Prone Press-Up
This exercise is excellent for the flexibility in your lower back and relieving any pain, you may experience due to your golf swing.
- Lie face down, resting the weight of your upper body on your elbows and forearms.
- Push up through your forearms and lift your upper body off the ground.
- Hold for a few seconds.
- Lower back down into your starting position.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
#4: Resistance Band Side Steps
Now let’s move on to strengthening our legs with side steps.
- Loop a mini band around your ankles and stand with your feet at shoulder width apart.
- With a slight bend in your knees, take a step or two to the right with your right foot, ensuring your knee does not cave inward and you maintain your position.
- Step to the right with your left foot to meet your right foot.
- Take 8-12 steps to one side and then 8-12 steps to the other side.
Now that we are all warmed up and mobile, let’s get into some of our strengthening golf exercises for seniors:
#5: Squat With Overhead Reach
This exercise not only calls on your lower body for quite a workout but works shoulder mobility at the same time.
- Stand tall with your feet wider than hip-width apart and your toes slightly turned out.
- Engage your core, keep your chest up and proud, and look straight ahead.
- Bend at the knees and hips as you sit back until your thighs are parallel to the floor while raising your arms above your head, elbows by your ears.
- Using your glutes, push yourself back into your initial standing position, keeping your arms extended.
Note: As you improve your mobility, you can hold a weight or golf club between your hands for more of a challenge. Try not to let your arms drop too far forward when you are performing the squat movement.
#6: Double Leg Glute Bridge
The double-leg glute bridge is a great exercise to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings. When you master this move and get stronger, you can try different variations, such as a weighted glute bridge and a single-leg glute bridge.
The weighted glute bridge will add more of a challenge to strengthening, and the single-leg glute bridge will really work your stability as it is a unilateral exercise.
- Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent, arms by your sides, and heels on the floor at hip-width apart.
- Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground, aligning with your knees.
- Hold this position for a few seconds, activating your glutes and aligning your hips.
- Lower your hips to the starting position.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
#7: Step-Ups
For this one of our golf exercises for seniors, you will need a step, box, or a sturdy chair to place in front of you. Choose a height that feels comfortable for you to step up and down on without feeling the need to strain yourself or jump.
- Stand tall, facing the step.
- Place your right foot entirely on the step and push yourself up onto the box.
- Bring your left foot up onto the step, so you are standing on top of the step.
- Lower your left foot back to the floor slowly, then your right.
- Repeat 8-12 times.
- Switch sides.
Note: You can add dumbbells to this exercise as you get stronger.
#8: Three-Point Kick With Resistance Band
This exercise is excellent for lower-body strength, stability, and balance. If you need help balancing yourself when starting out, hold onto a chair for extra support.
- Loop a resistance band around your ankles.
- Stand on your left foot.
- Bring your foot forward, to the side, and back in fluid movements, pushing against the resistance bands. Do not touch down in the middle of the movement to work on stability if possible.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
- Repeat on the other side.
Let’s move on to some core and upper body work:
#9: Scissor Kicks
- Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and legs extended.
- Engage your core and lift your legs off the floor.
- “Flutter” kick your legs like swimming, keeping your core engaged.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
#10: Resistance Band Chest press
This exercise can also be done lying on a workout bench with dumbbells or a barbell if more weight is desired. Remember that there are different weighted resistance bands, as well, so within a set, you can have various weights to challenge yourself more and more each time.
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and a long resistance band wrapped around your back, an end or handle in each hand.
- Lift your hands so they are at chest level, right at your armpits.
- Push the bands straight out in front of you.
- Return your hands in a controlled movement back to their starting position.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
#11: Resistance Band Bent Over Row
Rows can also be performed with a suspension device such as a TRX, or with dumbbells or kettlebells, depending on your fitness level and access to equipment. These are excellent for strengthening your back and can help improve posture.
- Loop a long resistance band under your feet, holding an end in each hand.
- Bend at the waist keeping your back completely straight.
- Pull the end of the band up to your chest, your elbows bending behind you.
- Hold this position for a second or two and lower the band with control back to your starting position.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
Note: Be sure you really squeeze your shoulder blades together during each repetition.
#12: Resistance Band Draw The Sword
This exercise works the upper body and core strength and can also help with the range of motion in your shoulders.
- Anchor a resistance band under your right foot, and hold the other end in your left hand.
- Pull the resistance band across your body from your right hip to above your left shoulder extending your arm.
- Return to your starting position by lowering the band back to your hip.
- Repeat for 8-12 reps.
- Repeat on the other side.
There you have it! 12 excellent golf exercises for seniors that you can add to your routine a couple of times weekly for an improved golf game and fitness overall.
If you want a great pre-round warm-up routine for your next game, check out our article: The Complete Warm Up For Golfers: 10 Exercises For Golfers.
