Week 15: The core of success

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To get the most out of your golf swing, your workout should target the center of your body.

Almost every movement you make as an athlete either starts from or is transferred through the center of your body. That area from the bottom of your rib cage to the bottom of your glutes, often referred to as your core, contains the muscles that stabilize your body for most athletic activities. That includes the golf swing. These five exercises will help you strengthen your core and your swing.

The Plank

Lie face down on mat with elbows resting on floor next to chest. Push your body off the floor in a pushup position with your body resting on your elbows or hands. Contract the abs and keep the body in a straight line from head to toes. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat as many times as you can. If this is too difficult, you can begin doing these with your knees on the ground at first.

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Squat and Press

With your feet in a wide stance, grip a light medicine ball with both hands. Inhale as you squat and lower the ball to the floor. Be sure to keep your posture upright and your abdominal muscles engaged throughout the exercise. As soon as the ball touches the floor, exhale as you reverse direction to a standing position and then with the ball at chest level, press the ball above your head. Return the ball to chest level and repeat. Do this 15 times.

Hundreds

From a lying position, bring your head up with your chin down and, using your abs, curl your upper spine up off the floor. At the same time, deepen the pull of the abs and extend your legs and arms toward the wall in front of you. Your arms extend straight out low, just a few inches off floor, with the fingertips reaching for the far wall. Take five short breaths in and five short breaths out. While doing so, move your arms in a controlled up and down manner - a small pumping of the arms. Do a cycle of 10 full breaths. Each cycle is five short in-breaths and then five short out-breaths. The arms pump up and down a few inches, in unison with your breath. Keep your back flat on the floor, and your head in line with your spine.

Medicine Ball Twist

Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. Pick up your small medicine ball and rotate your arms and chest to the right. Be sure that your posture is upright, as thought there is a string pulling the top of your head upward. This will make it easier on your back when you rotate. After turning to the right, rotate you arms and chest so that the ball moves as far left as you can go. Repeat the cycle 10 times with slow, controlled movements.

Superman

Lie on the floor with your arms extended in front of you. Inhale as you raise your head, arms and torso and legs off the ground. Hold for two seconds and then exhale as you return your limbs to the ground. Repeat 10 times.

Developing your core strength is not the only way to improve your golf game. If you continue to suffer knee pain on the golf course, 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.