Most likely, you would prefer to keep playing golf for as long as possible. One of the things that attracts people to golf in the first place is the fact that it is a ‘game for a lifetime’. Many other sports you can play recreationally get significantly more difficult to participate in as you age. Not so with golf. Countless players continue to enjoy the game late into their retirement years. Once you learn how to play – and fall in love with the game – you can keep coming back time and time again.

Of course, that is only if you stay healthy. If you get injured in one form or another – whether it be a lower back injury or something else – you won’t be able to keep up with the game you love. It is important to take a long-term view with regard to your health on the golf course. Some of that long-term view was covered in the previous section, where we talked about using your common sense. Doing things like turning down the effort in your swing and avoiding playing when you are in pain should help your golf longevity.

Another piece of the long-term golf puzzle has to do with taking care of your body, both on and off the course. Keeping yourself in good physical condition will help you deal with the rigors of the golf swing, and you will stand a better chance to avoid injury as a result. Below, we have listed a few important fitness points that can help you both stay healthy in golf and play better golf at the same time. Of course, this information does not replace the advice of a medical professional, so always speak to your doctor before taking on any fitness regimen.

• Stay flexible. It is normal for human beings to lose flexibility as they age. However, you don’t have to give into that inevitability and just accept the fact that you turn is going to get shorter with each passing year. Making an effort to maintain your flexibility to the greatest degree possible can do wonders for your golf game. Simple stretches and other basic exercises could help you to stay fit as the rounds of golf add up.
• Stay fit. By maintaining a healthy weight and keeping yourself at a reasonable level of physical fitness, your body should be better prepared to deal with the demands of playing golf. Of course, overall fitness is not only good for your life on the course, but it is valuable for your life off of the course, as well. If you are not currently fit and would like to make changes, speak with a medical professional about the steps you can take to make progress in this area. The good news is this – you don’t have to be an elite-level athlete to play golf. Even maintaining a moderate level of fitness should go a long way toward improving your ability to stay healthy on the links.
• Use your swings wisely. If you love playing golf, you want to get as much enjoyment as possible out of each swing. With that in mind, it is a good idea to use those swings wisely, rather than ‘wasting’ them when they don’t matter as much. What do we mean? Simple – don’t wear down your back hitting driver after driver on the practice range. If you stand on the range swinging as hard as you can at your driver over and over again, you are placing stress on your lower back without getting much reward. Will those swings help you play better on the course? Maybe – but at what cost? Instead, use your practice time mostly to work on your skills in other areas. Hit wedge shots, hit plenty of putts, and work on your chipping and pitching. These are less aggressive activities that will still pay big dividends on the course. We aren’t saying that you should never hit your driver or other long clubs on the range, but be smart and monitor your overall usage.

It would be a shame for lower back health to get in the way of your ability to enjoy this game for the long term. Whether you have minor aches and pains which reduce your enjoyment of golf, or you have a major injury which makes golf impossible, neither outcome is fun. Hopefully the tips above will help you stay on a healthier track moving forward.