The document provides six yoga poses to help golfers prepare for their game: 1) deep breathing to increase blood flow and prepare the body, 2) a standing forward fold to release tension in the low back and neck, 3) a standing rhomboid stretch to stretch the upper back, 4) a standing chest opener to open the shoulders, 5) a standing quad stretch to stretch the quadriceps and hip flexors, and 6) a standing twist with a golf club behind the shoulders to visualize the backswing and follow through. It recommends doing the poses periodically during the round to keep muscles loose and reduce injury risk.

1. ZOYOGA FOR GOLFERS
SOME INFORMATION FROM KATHERINE ROBERTS “YOGA FOR
GOLFERS”
WWW.ZOYOGA.COM 612-208-9032
Between changing into your golf shoes and hitting the range, practice the follow-
ing six poses to help you prepare for the game.
Deep Breathing. Stand with your feet together and prac-
tice some deep breathing. Start by inhaling, bringing the
arms over the head, Feel the rib cage expanding as you
lengthen in the waist. Exhale, lower the arms down. Re-
peat five to ten times. This will increase blood flow to the
muscles, preparing the body for yoga and golf.
Standing Forward Fold. Allow the body to fold forward,
releasing any tension in the low back. Let the head
hang, releasing tension in the neck. Hold for five to ten
breaths. Come back to standing upright slowly.
Standing Rhomboid Stretch. Standing, place feet
slightly wider than hip-width apart. Bend the knees and
draw the navel towards the spine, supporting the back.
Lace the hands together in front of the body and drop the
arms slightly lower than shoulder height. Press the hands
and arms away from the upper body. Feel the stretch in
the upper back. Increase the intensity by tucking the chin
toward the chest. Hold for ten breaths.

2. Page 2
ZOYOGA FOR GOLFERS
SOME INFORMATION FROM KATHERINE ROBERTS “YOGA FOR GOLFERS”
Standing Chest Opener. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
Slightly bend the knees and draw the navel toward the
spine, supporting the low back. Clasp the hands behind the
back, bringing the fleshy parts of the palms together. Roll
the shoulders open and hold for five breaths.
Fold forward, allowing the hands to come over the head.
Hold for five breaths.
Standing Quad Stretch. Balancing on the right leg, place
the left foot in the left hand. Keeping the knees in alignment
with each other, draw the navel inward and press forward.
Press the foot toward the hand, creating more resistance in
the quadriceps and hip flexors. Hold for five breaths and
switch sides.
Standing twist with club behind shoulders. Standing with
the feet wider than hip-width apart (like a golf stance), tilt at
the hips, placing a golf club directly behind the shoulder
blades. Draw the navel in, telescope the rib cage up, and in-
hale deeply, Exhale, twisting the left shoulder toward the right
side and look down. Hold on the right side for five to ten
breaths. Visualize the desired rotation in your backswing.
Slowly releasing out of the pose, move to the other side ,and
hold for five to ten breaths. Visualize the perfect finishing po-
sition.

3. Page 3
Keep the muscles loose by stretching periodically throughout the round.
Standing Cat/Cow. Bring your hands to your hips
and inhale as you press your chest and stomach
forward and bring your base overhead causing your
back to arch. Exhale as you draw the navel inward,
rounding the back and extending the crown of the
head forward. Repeat five times. Warming up the
low back reduces the risk of injury and supports a
consistent, powerful swing plane.
Crescent Lunge. Take a big step forward with
the left leg and come up on the right toes. Back
leg is straight, front knee is bent right over front
ankle. Engage the right buttocks and press the
right hip toward the cart. Hold for several
breaths. Switch sides and repeat. This pose
works hip flexors, psoas, quads and glutes, giv-
ing more extension and power by supporting full
hip extension.
Pyramid pose. Take a medium step forward with
the left foot so that your heels are about 3.5 feet
apart. Square your hips to the front. Hinge forward
at the hips leading with the chest. Bring your finger-
tips to the ground on each side of your front foot or
bring your hands to the sides of your shin. Bring
your nose toward your knee. Hold for several
breaths. Switch sides and repeat. Hamstring flexi-
bility has a distinct correlation to keeping the low
back healthy.

4. Twist Your Body, Straighten Your Mind
Cow-face arms with club. Bring the right arm up,
palm facing you. Let the right forearm fall behind the
back, grabbing the golf club (or a towel). Bring the
left arm behind you, grabbing onto the same club .
Feel the stretch in the shoulders. Hold for five
breaths. Switch sides and repeat.
Standing rotational twist. Step the left foot forward.
Keep your hips squared to the front. Bring your right
arm around to the back, back of hand to right side of
waist. Bring your left arm around to the front, palm to
left side of waist. Pull the navel in, extend tall through
the crown of the head and twist to the left from the
waist. Hold for five breaths. Switch sides. Repeat.
Quiet your mind and reconnect with your breath.
Whenever possible take a moment to do this. This will
increase your energy, calm your mind, relieve tension
in the mind and body, enhance the rhythm ad tempo
of your swing, increase your endurance and bring fo-
cus to your game.
“ . . .create a conscious shift in your thinking, from struggle to joy. Lift your head,
capture the scenery . . . breathe in the fresh air.” Katherine Roberts.
WWW.ZOYOGA.COM 612-208-9032