Week 23: Cross-training to improve your golf game

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Running, yoga, swimming and rowing are just a few sports that can help improve your golf game.

Talk to any great athlete and chances are you will be speaking with a cross trainer. You might think that participating in other sports just takes away from the practice time necessary to be a better golfer. But trying a new activity may be exactly what you need to improve. Trying other activities will prevent boredom from setting in to your practice. And it will help you maintain your fitness, while preventing the repetitive stress injuries that occur from practicing the same motion thousands of times. Try these sports to improve your golf game.

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Yoga -- Think about all of the benefits yoga can bring to your golf game. It will give you better flexibility and range of motion, which will help make your swing more fluid. It strengthens your core, giving your swing more power. And the ability to quiet your mind and focus on the present will bring your concentration to a new level. Beginner sessions usually last one hour. Focus on controlling your breath and some light physical movements that will help you gain strength and flexibility.

Tennis -- If you can hit a ball moving at 90 miles-per-hour with topspin, it will not seem nearly as daunting to hit a motionless ball off of a tee. The rotation of the tennis swing will also help you feel comfortable using your hips and legs to find the power in your golf swing.

Weight Training -- Do not focus entirely on big biceps as the way to add distance to your drives. You will gain even more power in your swing by strengthening your legs. In the same way that a baseball pitcher or football quarterback can generate higher throwing speeds through leg strength, a golfer can find greater distance with the most overlooked body part in the weight room. Start with light weights and work on maintaining proper form and control while you are lifting. Once you can complete a set of 10 repetitions easily, you can increase the weight slightly at your next workout.

Swimming -- It will be hard for you to find a better low-impact cardiovascular workout that increases flexibility while minimizing the strain on your joints. Swimming also helps alleviate the soreness in your muscles from other activities. It is the perfect activity for the day after a strenuous workout. Concentrate on swimming for a length of time versus a number of laps. Swimming 30 minutes at a leisurely pace is a great place to start.

Running -- In addition to gaining leg strength, running will give you the cardiovascular stamina you need to finish strong on the 18th hole. If you have never run before, you can start by doing some small intervals. Try running for one minute, then walking for one minute. If you can do this for 30 minutes total, you are off to a great start. As you build up more stamina, you can increase to two minutes of running with one minute of walking and so on.

Rowing -- Rowing increases the strength in your upper body, hips and quadriceps without placing a strain on your knees. Most gyms are now equipped with rowing simulators to make it more convenient as a year-round exercise. Start with a casual 30-minute routine before increasing the intensity of your rowing sessions.

Even the most fit golfer in the world cannot perform at his best if joint pain is holding him back. If knee pain is preventing you from reaching your peak performance, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Various treatments for OA do exist, such as ORTHOVISC®, which provides up to six months of knee pain relief. Made from ultra-pure natural hyaluronan, which is found in healthy joints, ORTHOVISC® is injected into the knee joint where it acts to replace your natural joint fluid, to help cushion, protect, and lubricate your knee.

ORTHOVISC® is a proud sponsor of PGATOUR.com. Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you. Or visit our Web site at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on maintaining joint health and the prevention/treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is for patients who do not get adequate pain relief from simple pain relievers like acetaminophen or from exercise and physical therapy. ORTHOVISC® is not for use in people with known allergy to hyaluronate preparations, to gram bacterial proteins, with infections or skin diseases in the area of the injection site or joint. Common side effects include joint pain, back pain, headaches and pain or redness at the injection site.

This is a paid placement by DePuy Mitek, Inc. The opinions expressed above are those of DePuy Mitek, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PGA TOUR.