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You have been waiting for this all year, and it’s FINALLY time.  Golf season is here! You have prepared by cleaning your golf shoes, wiping down your clubs, and restocking your bag with a fresh supply of balls.  You’ve gathered a few pals and are ready to OWN your tee time.  However, have you made sure your body is primed and ready golf season?  If you haven’t given thought to preparing your back, knees, and arms for handling your power swing, now’s the time. Over 80% of professional golfers and 60% amateur golfers sustain an injury at one point in their career (bruised egos aside).  Here’s the kicker: these injuries caused wanna-be-players to be out of commission for an average of 5 weeks.  Yikes – that’s a huge chunk of golf season to be kept off the green. Luckily for you, there are a few things you can do to help prepare your body for golf season, lower your risk for injury, and enjoy as much time as possible on the course.

1. Make an appointment at Elements Massage^® now, and then schedule a few more sessions throughout the summer. If you haven’t put massage on your short list of things to do before golfing, you definitely should. One study found that of golfers who sustained an injury while golfing, over a third reported a hurt lower back, and another third reported a hurt elbow.  Getting regular massages can increase the range of motion and improve the flexibility of your muscles. Massage also promotes healthy circulation, which can improve the fluidity of your muscles. And, if you’ve got an injury from last year’s golf season, it’s especially important to get any residual knots and kinks worked out. When strained, muscles tend to bunch up to “protect” an injured area. Making sure your back and joints are in their best possible form before you hit