Get Fit for the golf the season Written by: Nadia Behnan, Golf Conditioning Specialist CPTN

The biggest misconceptions a lot of golfers have about golf conditioning, is that it is something that should be done during the golf season, to improve their game immediately. Well, it is actually the opposite. Golf conditioning is even more beneficial when it is started during the "off season" to prepare the body for the stresses it will endure during the golf season.

What all athletes should understand is that it takes 4-6 weeks of consistent and repetitive activity to best condition the body! Especially with a sport like golf which mostly favors one side of the body, creating in the long term what we refer to as muscular imbalances, which often lead to injuries and forced rest.

The "off season" is the best time to condition because it gives the golfer plenty of time to work on any physical limitations and muscular weaknesses, and to train the muscles to become more flexible, stronger and better coordinated. And a well developed program should not only focus on taking care of improving the obvious needs of golf, but should also include exercises that target specific muscular imbalances, lack of range of motion, cardiovascular endurance, and a little weight loss if necessary.

A "golf specific" fitness routine can be started any time of the year, and is most beneficial when it is performed all year around and re-designed every 60-90 days to keep the body motivated and challenged. But don't be intimidated by the long-term commitment it takes to optimize physical conditioning and improve your game. A Golf Conditioning Specialist can design a program for you based on the equipment you have at your disposal and time you have available to dedicate to improving your most important golf equipment: your body.

For more information about golf conditioning and to find out what is involved in a golf specific program, www.theworkoutloft.com">www.theworkoutloft.com. You are sure to find lots of tools and information to answer all of your golf fitness questions and needs.