2 Your Health: Golf and Massage: Can Massage Help Your Game?

Heidi Overman, LMT

How does your body feel when you’re playing golf?

Golf is a game that challenges your body. You are twisting, flexing, gripping, and extending muscles in ways you don’t normally do. The movements are quick and your muscles need to be able to react without pulling and tweaking while hitting your shot.

Sure, you stretched for a few minutes before you played. You did stretch before you played golf today, right? Did you stretch? Did you stretch properly? Did you stretch the right muscles?

Why am I asking all of these questions? It’s golf!

Golf is a great sport. It keeps you active and your body moving. However, when you play, you can feel that tight low back. Your shoulder may pull or ache after playing. Your elbow hurts, and your grip isn’t what it used to be. Your knees are achy, and what’s that sharp pain in your hip? How’s your neck range of motion?

Stretching is important with all sports. When you stretch, it should be slow and you should hold when you start to feel the stretch. Thirty minutes of stretching before an activity will help teach those muscles to release, so you don’t get injured while playing.

Massage is another way of not only preventing injury—such as muscle strain, pulled muscle, muscle tears, and more—it will help alleviate the current issues you are having. Therapeutic massage can help release tight muscles, resulting in less strain and pain during your golf game.

As an example, if your thumb or wrist is hurting, we can work on your extensors in your arm. If you feel a tug in your mid-back when you swing through, we can relax those muscles so you won’t feel that pull. Is the range of motion in your neck holding you back from completing your full swing? Let’s work on it!

Golf is a great game. Regular massage can help! Let’s keep you healthy and flexible in order to keep you swinging for years to come.

New at MEND

Realign, Rebuild, Relax

MEND is embracing the Fundamental Lifestyle Approach to helping you achieve your goals. With this approach, you will receive individualized plans and instruction on what will be best for you and your fundamental lifestyle.

$11 per 45-minute class (drop-in rate)

Re-Align

Every Monday at 4 p.m. Up to three spots available (with social distancing)

In this class you will:

* Re-align your head-tail connection

* Focus on your challenges

* Explore the distribution of weight in your feet

* Explore your range of motion within various body parts

* Posture adjustment

* Find balance

* Beginner to intermediate

Re-Build

Every Monday at 4 p.m. Up to three spots available (with social distancing)

In this class you will:

* Rebuild – strength

* Toning – head to toe muscle groups

* Body weight exercises

* Beginner to intermediate

Relax

Every Monday at 4 p.m. Up to three spots available (with social distancing)

In this class you will work on:

* Basic breath work

* Stretch

* Movement

* Beginner to intermediate

If you are interested in a therapeutic massage, please call MEND for an appointment at 520-771-1514. Our website is mymendingplace.com and we’re located at MEND Therapeutic Massage and Restorative Skincare 15920 N Oracle Rd., Ste 170 Tucson, AZ 85739 (next to the Golden Goose).