Golfers tend to suffer more pain and injury to their backs than any other athletic sport. It is no surprise that in the golf swing, the back is the stabilizing pillar, and everything rotates around this pillar. The fact remains that our backs were never really designed for golf or for sitting for prolong periods of time, so it comes as no surprise that 8 out of 10 people suffer some form of back pain. During a golf swing, the muscles of the back are released in a near maximal effort. Most recreational golfers tend to place tremendous rotational stress on the back due to poor form. Many tests have been conducted showing that the spine absorbs forces equaling that to eight times the bodyweight during a golf swing. It comes as no surprise that some of the top professionals develop back pain due to this tremendous load and stress on the spine.

To prevent injury and play for many years to come, one must start to strengthen the muscles surrounding the spine. Especially muscles connected to the abdominals. Weak abdominals, weak glute's, weak hamstrings, weak Para spinals, tight and short psoas muscles tend to result in lower back issues in addition to poor performance on the course. To alleviate these issues one must start strengthening, take a look at the following exercises and start off slow.

Stability Ball Crunch-

1. Drape your torso over the ball lying face up with the ball beneath you

2. Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth in order stabilize the neck

3. Slowly curl the trunk and pelvis together while keeping the navel drawn inwards

4. Return to the start position and repeat

Horse Stance-

1. Place your wrists directly below your shoulders and your knees directly below your hips

2. Elbows should be turned backwards, draw your navel inwards

3. Slowly raise one arm on a 45 degree angle and elevate the opposing leg keeping them both on the same horizontal plane

4. Hold the position for ten seconds then alternate to the other arm and leg

Stability Ball Hip Extension-

1. Lie on your back with your feet placed on the ball

2. Arms should be out on the floor at a 45 degree angle, with the palms facing up

3. Extend the hips into the air by squeezing your glutes keeping perfect alignment of the ankle, knees, hips, and shoulders

4. Hold this position for a three count then lower and repeat for 10 reps

Side Plank-

1. Lie on one side, ensuring the top hip is above the bottom hip

2. Push up until there is a straight bodyline through feet, hips and head

3. Keep the elbow under the shoulder. Lower under control and repeat on opposite

side. Hold this position for an increasing length of time up to a maximum of one minute

In addition to this routine, try walking the course with good posture whenever possible, sitting less and walking more is far better for the back, and can be very beneficial to one's health. Performing a simple routine 2-3 times a week like the one above will help condition your core and create the armor needed to protect your back from injury, and perform better golf.