Overweight? Bad for your back and bad for your game!
Are you packing a few more pounds than you should be? Be honest! Is it a few? Like 10. Or is it a small child? I have a favorite story about my wife’s former boss. Every time he golfed, his back hurt for days. If he carried a bag, it hurt. If he played too often, it hurt. If he played too many holes, it hurt. The poor man bent over in the hotel hallway on a business trip (in his underwear) and couldn’t get back up. That is how messed up his back was. Did he learn anything from this? No! It took him more than 5 years of this pain cycle before he decided to lose some weight. Of course the fact that he kept getting bigger and bigger did not help. He probably had a hundred pounds of extra weight hanging on him by the time he did anything about it. He also had high blood pressure and digestive problems by that point too. All this and he is only in his forties. This man was not new to the game of golf. . He had been playing with the pain for years and even with his back pain, he maintained a 12 handicap. But the weight did not make the sport enjoyable.
I don’t tell this story simply because it is so colorful. It points out a paradox that you can see on most golf courses in the U.S. A lot of us could afford to lose a few pounds. A lot of us think we can just bound out onto the course with extra weight and not have it affect us. WRONG.
Not being in shape and being overweight is a terrible combination for golf. You end up putting even more strain on your joints and muscles. This strain can result in injury. Keep playing with the pain and you could be visiting the orthopedic surgeon if you aren’t careful.
Being overweight puts a lot more stress on every part of your body. I know you see some very good players who pack some weight. My father-in-law is one of them. He is chunky and plays well. Of course, he plays a lot and rarely carries his clubs. So, he is probably in better shape than he looks. But, in any case, anyone who is carrying excess weight is putting undue strain on their body.
A study by the American Obesity Association found that people who are overweight have a much higher risk of lower back pain. One reason for this was that extra weight around the mid-section tended to pull their pelvis forward putting additional strain on their lower back. The study also found that being overweight can cause damage to discs and more pain from herniated discs due to the disc compensating for the excess weight.
In conclusion, it would seem to make sense that for better golf, you should consider losing those extra pounds. A good conditioning program can help. If you aren’t sure where to start, give me a call and we can discuss some options. One great option is to leave the cart (if your club allows it) and pull your clubs.
To feel your best and to ensure great play for many years to come, have a good hard look at your body and see if it would help your health and your game to drop a few pounds.
I WISH YOU GOOD HEALTH AND GREAT GOLF!




