Try to keep good posture through your game.

To the observer, the game of golf may look like a walk in the park, but anyone who has played a round knows that it is a challenging, physical sport that can make demands on a player's body. To lessen the chance of pain or injury on the golf course, it is essential to understand the healthiest ways to prepare for and play the game.

Mark Benson is the Regional Golf Program Coordinator for Health South and works the P.G.A. Tour Fitness Van. He has been a Physical Therapist since 1994. Here he offers strategies for avoiding golf injuries:

• Injuries are common.
  According to Benson, there are twenty-four million new golfers every year, and Sixty-five percent of these golfers will get injured playing golf.
  
• First and last holes.
  In Benson's experience, many golfers suffer injuries on the first tee, because they are not properly warmed up, or on the eighteenth tee, because they are tired.
  
• Always warm up.
  To avoid injury in golf, Benson recommends three things. Number one: warm up for a minimum of fifteen minutes before you play.
  
• Keep good posture.
  Number two: when you play, make sure that your back is always in good posture. According to Benson, this means keeping your back flat.
  
• Stretch afterwards.
  And number three: stretch after you play golf.
  
• Walk between holes.
  During a round of golf, it's better to walk than to ride. When you keep moving in between shots it keeps the muscles supple. Blood keeps moving to the muscles so they aren't able to tighten up or go into spasm.
  
• Don't rush.
  To avoid injuring your back during a game of golf, take things slowly. If you take the time to warm up and play each hole at a leisurely pace, you'll have a happier, healthier game of golf.

For more information about golf and health, check out the following websites:

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Prevent Golf Injuries
orthoinfo.aaos.org

The Physician and Sports Medicine: Managing Golf Injuries
www.physsportsmed.com

Golf Europe.com: Golf Injuries
www.golfeurope.com

The Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA)
www.pga.com

The United States Golf Association
www.usga.org

Golf Online
www.golfonline.com