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In: Health & Fitness
25 Aug 2009If you are really serious about playing at your best, then warming up is a critical first step. You may be mentally ready to play, but your body needs to be poised to perform. A regular warm up routine consisting of stretching and increasing blood flow is important. The body knows it is being prepared for physical exertion. Massage chairs have the ability to assist in the warm up and warm down for sports activities.
Golf is an interesting sport. It is viewed by many a low impact, since golfers ride carts or only walk. As opposed to sports like soccer where you need to run. However, golf requires repetitive motions. The repetitive motion of the golf swing can impact the entire body. The swing requires a large degree of motion to accomplish properly. The repetitive swinging motion can cause back, shoulder and neck pain. This is especially possible with little to no warm up.
The golf swing when done without an adequate warm up can actually cause damage to the muscles and tendons. Warming up helps to increase the elasticity of the muscle tissue. This helps increase your range of motion. The golf swing has a very long range of motion. Loosening up the muscles and tendons with a massage chair can be effective to increase blood flow and get your body started.
If you back muscles are not flexible, then your swing may suffer accordingly. Think of the motion of teeing off. The arc that the golf club needs to make is a long range of motion. You have to position your feet, shoulders and head correctly to get a good, consistent swing. Everything is related. If your have back discomfort or tightness, then your swing will be off as well.
Prior to your next golf outing, try a simple warm up routine. Your warm up should include basic stretching. Stretch out the legs, arms and your torso. You want to get your muscles flexible in the movements you will make when golfing. You can go for a short walk to get your blood flowing and pick up your heart rate. This helps to get nutrients flowing to your muscles. Make sure you warm up starting 30 minutes before you play. You do not want to start too early to warm up.
Another effective warm up strategy is massage therapy. The best massage chairs from companies like Sanyo, Omega or Panasonic provide very effective massage therapy. Shiatsu massage therapy is an effective warm up massage. The EP30004 massage chair made by Panasonic has both shiatsu and Junetsu massage. These therapies help to warm up your muscles and increase the blood and nutrient flow in the body.
An effective massage chair for your shoulders, back and neck is made by Sanyo. The HEC DR7700 model massage chair has a massage system that can massage the tops of the shoulders and around the neck. This system helps to thoroughly loosen tight muscles preparing you for your round of golf.
Stretching is important to perform before your golf outing. The Montage Premier massage chair by Omega comes with a lower body traction system. This traction system actually stretches out the entire lower body. The Montage Premier will hold onto your feet and then it stretches you out. This helps to elongate the muscles of the lower back, hips, thighs, knees and ankles. Use this in conjunction with the built in heating elements for a great warm up.
If you do not take warm up seriously, you can end up with an injury. Golf requires a repetitive swinging motion. To swing effectively, your muscles need to be flexible. If your muscles are tight, then your swing will be off. When the muscles are not pliable, then injury can result. Massage therapy is great method for warming up the body. Many professional athletes use sports massage therapy prior to strenuous activity. A good shiatsu style massage can get you primed for your next golf game. A massage chair is an effective way to get warmed up, which may just be your ace in the hole.