Play Golf Forever: golf chair exercises for the over 50s

Suzanne Clark, author of new book 'Play Golf Forever', suggests some golf exercises you can do from the comfort of your chair for the over 50s player

Suzanne Clark, author of new book 'Play Golf Forever', suggests some golf exercises you can do from the comfort of your chair for the over 50s player

Experienced physiotherapist, Suzanne Clark, has written a book called Play Golf Forever: a Physiotherapist’s Guide to Golf Fitness and Health for the Over 50s, a sister title to her earlier Play Tennis Forever.

Spending a little time doing specific exercises can be hugely beneficial, but playing golf alone is, sadly, not enough, as Suzanne explains: “The big misconception is thinking, ‘Oh, playing golf is my exercise’. It’s about understanding how your muscles decline in strength naturally, and even though you are playing golf, you’re not doing specific strengthening exercises, so your muscles will still decline.” Thankfully, there are even some beneficial exercises you can do without even leaving your chair...

From the comfort of your chair You can increase muscle strength simply by a slight adjustment to the way you get up from a chair. We tend to push ourselves up using the chair’s arms, but standing up without holding on uses your bodyweight as resistance, so you will exercise your leg muscles more simply by working them harder.

Do this three times every time you get up and that’s a lot of extra exercise every day. Further exercises from the comfort of your own chair require a resistance band (available in different strengths and lengths to suit). Wrap it round both hands about shoulder-width apart, hold your arms out in front of you and then pull them away to the sides.

The resistance in the band gets the muscles in your shoulders and back working. Stop when you first feel slightly fatigued, then build it up as you get stronger. You can also work on the back muscles needed for rotation by tucking one end of the band under one leg and rotating your whole body away, holding the other end with the opposite hand. Do this on both sides.

Check out our short video series highlighting some of the key exercises and suggestions Suzanne gave GM's very own over 50s golfer, Jezz Ellwood, on a recent visit to the Golf Monthly offices...

Pre-round five-minute warm-up

Resistance band swing exercises

Post-round cool down

Improve your balance

Important Medical Disclaimer If the reader or viewer has any existing medical conditions or requires individual advice, they should check with their GP or appropriate healthcare professional before undertaking any exercise or stretching programmes. No responsibility is assumed for any loss or damage caused, or allegedly caused, as a result of following the advice given.

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response