Week 1: Can a round of golf improve your health?

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Rival Marketing

Golf is a good way to reconnect with old friends or make new ones.

Golf may have started out as a fun way for you to get some exercise. But what you may not realize is that the social aspect of the sport may carry the greatest benefits of all. Consider how the social aspect of your golf game may improve your life.

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You spend quality time with friends: When you add in the time it takes to get ready for the round and a post-round meal, you're likely to spend nearly seven hours with your playing partners. Most of it is spent on the course away from a television screen, an iPod and any other distractions of modern life. What other activity allows people to spend that level of quality time together sharing stories and maybe even a special moment or two on the course? You're improving your relationships, simply by doing something you like to do.

You will meet new people: You may not always have three friends ready to play when you are. Most courses will place you with other golfers who do not have playing partners as well. And just like that, you've met three new people who share the same passion as you. In today's world of Internet social networks, you've actually taken the next step by meeting three other people with like interests in person. If you play frequently, the number of new friends you will make is limitless.

You will learn to cope with challenges: Golf is a sport loaded with obstacles?long holes, sand bunkers, and water hazards. Your success in a round is largely dependent upon how you handle these obstacles. If your drive lands in a bunker, will you calmly use your wedge to free it, or will you take six swings to bully it onto the grass and unravel for the rest of the round? Golf teaches us that obstacles need to be met with a calm mind. This is a lesson we can apply to all of the obstacles we face in life. If we bring a levelheaded approach to our troubles, our mindset will benefit significantly.

You will keep your body and mind moving: The physical activity of golf may help keep your body running smoothly, but the time spent outdoors in beautiful settings and in conversation with friends are great for stimulating your mind. Golf also requires a level of creativity in dealing with the course, the elements and even your own mental barriers. By constantly challenging these variables of the game, you continue to find ways to challenge yourself.

The social aspect of your golf game may do wonders for your well-being. But chronic knee pain can make you feel like never lifting a golf club again. If knee pain is preventing you from enjoying the sport, 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 indicated in the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative nonpharmacologic therapy and to simple analgesics, e.g., acetaminophen. In clinical studies, the most commonly reported adverse events were arthralgia, back pain and headache. Other side effects include local injection site adverse events.

ORTHOVISC® is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronate formulation or known hypersensitivity (allergy) to gram positive bacterial proteins. ORTHOVISC should not be injected in patients with infections or skin diseases in the areas of the injection site or joint. Strict aseptic technique should be used. The effectiveness of more than 1 course has not been established.

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.