“I believe being aerobically fit helps my body recover quickly so that I’m able to compete at the highest level.” Tiger Woods
Cardio is crucial to your long term success as a golfer and as person who strives to be lean, fit, strong and everlasting in your favorite sport. Great physical conditioning creates a more powerful golfer any day-every day. Cardiovascular exercise is generally underestimated when it comes to golf fitness.
Golfers typically fail to see the benefits derived from cardio simply because they either ride in a cart or feel there is plenty of rest in between shots. However, walkers cover an approximate walking distance of 4-5 miles each round.
Even cart riders put in their fair share of walking depending on local cart rules, weather conditions and following errant shots. Put simply, cardio builds endurance and endurance protects your game from fatigue.
Cardio Tools
Cooper 12 Minute Run: How fit are you? Take the following test to determine your cardiovascular fitness. Find the true measure of your endurance.
3 Min Step Test: What’s your heart’s current recovery rate? As you become more fit, your recovery will be faster.
Calories Per Activity: Would you like to know which activities burn the most calories? Find out here.
Target Heart Rate Calculator: Learn which heart rate will yield the best results to meet your cardiovascular goals. No more guesswork!
Questions and Answers
[toggle title=”Do golfers need cardiovascular activity?”]Golfers require stamina to cover the 4 to 5 miles required for each round. Even cart riders put in their fair share of walking depending on local cart rules, weather conditions and following errant shots. Cardio builds endurance and endurance protects your game from fatigue. This stamina allows the golfer to stay physically and mentally focused throughout the round.
A sound cardiovascular training program for golf fitness should consist of an average of 20 to 45 minutes of moderate activity, three to five days a week. You can use any number of activities to fulfill these requirements. Activities such as walking, bicycling, jogging, and using cardio machines are all great choices. Once you have established your cardio golf fitness training program, just be consistent. [/toggle][toggle title=”How many calories are burned performing different types of cardio?”]There is a huge range of calories burned depending on the activity and at what intensity the activity is being performed. For example, 55 calories are estimated to be burned while you are sleeping and 85 calories while eating. The more aggressive the activity, the more calories are burned. When it comes to burning off calories, people who do the same amount of time can burn vastly different numbers of calories, depending on their size. For example, if a family of three jogs side-by-side for 30 minutes, the 175-pound father will burn 400 calories, the 130-pound mother will burn 300 calories and 65-pound child will burn 180 calories.
What about different pieces of equipment and calories burned? Sure, they all yield different amounts too when you consider the amount of exertion used to perform the activity, the intensity of the activity and the weight of the person. Another example is the calorie difference between running at a 12 minute mile pace and a 7 minute mile pace. A 200 lb. person who runs a 12 minute mile burns 384 calories per 30 minute period. A 200 lb. person who runs a 7 minute mile burns 696 calories per 30 minutes. These are vastly different numbers as they reflect on the energy one must expend to accomplish their cardiovascular feat. Be sure to check out the cardio comparisons between different activities and different weights in the Cardio Section. [/toggle][toggle title=”What are the main benefits of cardio?”]The benefits from cardio may start with golf, but cross over into every area of your life. From a golf fitness perspective, cardio helps provide better timing, rhythm and hand eye coordination. It increases stamina and lessens the effects of fatigue throughout your golf round. It aids in better mental focus and concentration. The cardio component is very easy to overlook in golf because most riders and walkers don’t see the golf game as a sport with strenuous physical activity. Ironically, many golfers report feelings of fatigue towards the end or shortly thereafter their round, confirming the need for increased conditioning.
In a more general sense, regular cardio sessions improve your circulation, high blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. It reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. It also increases your energy levels while reducing stress. Cardio creates a healthy heart and an active fit body. An active fit body generally equates to a more natural and athletic golf swing. [/toggle][toggle title=”Is one piece of equipment better than another?”]In general, no piece of equipment is better than another. Of course, this depends on what you are trying to get out of the activity. For example, there are two styles of Elliptical machines. One type has moving handles that move back and forth in addition to your leg movement. The other type keeps your hands stationary on a bar so you can just focus on your legs and increasing your metabolism. As you might guess, the type which activates your arms can be considered more advantageous for weight loss because more of your body is moving. However, from a cardiovascular standpoint, they function the same and the benefits to you are relatively the same.
Another point to consider is any orthopedic concerns you may have like knee problems. Here is a comparison of various popular machines and how they may affect your body.
An elliptical machine is one of the most popular and safest pieces of cardiovascular equipment on the market. Because there is minimal stress being placed on the joints due to the elliptical motion, this machine is useful for all kinds of orthopedic conditions. People who have had surgery on their back, knee or hip seem to enjoy the benefits from this machine.
A treadmill with a slight incline will challenge you by increasing your heart rate for a period of time which will improve your fitness. If a treadmill is too hard on your knees, there is the recumbent bike that takes away the weight bearing loads on the knees, and you can still elevate your heart rate enough to have positive cardiovascular gains.
Recumbent bicycles are really useful for people with low back and knee issues because it takes the load off the back while allowing support for good posture from behind. Usually pushing forward with your legs creating a soft position for your knees as opposed to directly beneath you, as in an upright bicycle, can be less stressful to the knees.
Cardio kickboxing has been a favorite cardio workout with several pro golfers, yet there is no doubt about the stress it puts on an older, less agile body. The main reason why you perform cardiovascular exercises is to improve the quality of oxygen delivery to the exercising muscles and to rid the muscles of waste products so that fatigue can be delayed. In this respect, there are an infinite number of machines or activities that can accomplish this objective. As in all forms of stretching and golf fitness exercise related activities, it’s most important to create consistency in your workout. Find a cardio activity that you enjoy and best suits your current level of golf fitness and lifestyle. [/toggle][toggle title=”How do I check my heart rate?”]There are two places to check your heart beat while exercising. Feel your pulse at your wrist or on your neck. Count the beats for 10 seconds and then multiply by 6.
Take Your Pulse-Wrist
Place the fingertips of your right hand on the underside of your wrist at the artery. The strongest beat can be felt on the area of your wrist near your thumb, just below your wrist bone. Do not use your thumb because it has a pulse of its own.
Take Your Pulse-Neck
Place your index and middle fingers directly under your ear, then slide your fingers down until they are directly under your jawbone, pressing lightly. Start with zero on the first beat and count for 10 seconds then multiply by six. Always check your pulse frequently throughout your workout to make sure you within your target heart rate zone.
Get a Heart Rate Monitor
It will monitor your heart rate throughout your workout via a transmitter worn around your chest and a watch on your wrist. This will give you instant information you can use to increase or decrease your intensity as you are performing your favorite cardio activity.
Take the Talk Test
You should be able to carry on a conversation during your workout. If you are breathless, or can’t talk, you’re working too hard! Slow down. Also, if you feel light headed or experience dizziness, you are overexerting and should stop! [/toggle][toggle title=”What heart rate zone is best for my golf game?”]The standard formula for calculating your maximum heart rate is 220- age (your current age). Once you get this number, multiply it by the intensity of your exercise session. For example, let’s assume your age is 40. 220-40=180.
To increase your aerobic endurance for the benefit of your golf game, you should exercise at an intensity of 70-80% of your maximum (180). 180 x .70 (70%) =126 beats per minute. 180 x .80 (80%) =144. So, if you keep your heart rate in the aerobic zone of 126 to 144 beats per minute, you will derive the best benefits for cardiovascular endurance for your next round.
You should try and keep in this heart rate zone for a minimum of 20 minutes, assuming your current level of fitness allows you to do this. If not, work up to it. [/toggle][toggle title=”Is it better to increase my time on the equipment or increase my difficulty level?”]If the goal is to improve stamina for the golf course, then you should strive to perform cardio for 3 days weekly for a minimum of 30 minutes. So, if your current conditioning puts you at 15 or 20 minutes, then it should be your goal to increase to 30 minutes. In fact, a good goal is to be able to sustain yourself through any cardio activity for 30 minutes. For example, your stamina may be 30 minutes on a treadmill and 15 minutes on an Elliptical. Each activity has different requirements so focus on building endurance with each machine or activity.
Building endurance should always be your primary objective with regards to your golf game. Once endurance of 30 minutes is built, focus on increasing intensity or difficulty. The only exception is for weight loss. If a golfer is so hindered by excess body fat that it is affecting their level of performance, then additional cardio sessions and nutritional strategies become more of a priority. Endurance can remain a focus, but takes a back seat to creating progressively challenging cardio sessions geared towards burning more fat. [/toggle][toggle title=”What is the difference between high intensity and low intensity cardio workouts?”] Golf Fitness training involves both low intensity workouts and high intensity workouts. A low intensity workout occurs when the heart works at a rate of 60 to70 percent of your maximum heart rate at a constant pace for 20 to 45 minutes. If you can maintain a good low intensity workout for 20 to 45 minutes, you will effectively burn fat. Low intensity workouts allow you to build endurance at a slow progressive rate.
For a high intensity workout, the heart rate is maintained beyond 70 percent of its maximum capacity. The length of the high intensity workout will vary from 5 to 20 minutes, according to the general fitness level of the individual.
Sprinting, spinning on a bicycle, high speed rowing, and fast walking are examples of high intensity workouts. Some people alternate lower intensity bursts with higher intensity bursts in a short duration cardio activity. Higher intensity workouts are not for those who are beginner’s or for those not accustomed to vigorous exercise. This method proves to be quite taxing to the body.
However, for seasoned veterans, it is very helpful in breaking through plateaus or reaching a higher level of fitness. [/toggle][toggle title=”Is there a difference between cardio for golf and cardio for fat loss?”] The heart is a big muscle that needs to be challenged, just like any other muscle in the body. Training the heart during exercise makes it stronger and can eject larger amounts of blood with consideration to time. The muscles then receive an adequate supply of blood to sustain contractions for longer periods of time, which means less fatigue.
Cardio for golf is all about building endurance and stamina. By increasing stamina your level of golf performance rises because of better flow of oxygen to working muscles and increased supply to the brain improving levels of concentration. Cardio for golf should be performed anywhere from 20-45 minutes and in between 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. Three times weekly is a great goal focusing on progressively adding time to your current level of stamina. Regardless of where you start, add 10% each week to the total time of your cardio sessions in order to increase your endurance up to a level of approximately 40-45 minutes.
Cardio for fat loss is about combining nutrition, strength, and cardiovascular training into a comprehensive and balanced plan. Whenever calories expended exceeds calories taken in through food, fat loss occurs. The rate at which fat loss occurs is usually in direct proportion to a person’s level of commitment and consistency in enforcing the principles of fat loss. Depending on the amount of fat loss that needs to occur, cardio can help supplement this process. For fat loss in excess of 30 pounds, 5 or 6 days of cardio is recommended. 60-70% of maximum heart rate is the ideal heart rate to capitalize on fat loss. Again, the session length will be highly dependent upon the current fitness level of the individual. The goal is to work up to between 30-45 minutes while maintaining this heart rate. [/toggle][toggle title=”Should I eat before my cardio sessions?”]It is never a good idea to exert yourself on an empty stomach. You need the energy derived from food to drive you through the workout, so a small amount of food in your stomach is best. Eat a light snack about 30 minutes prior to your cardio when you can. Eat a meal with plenty of complex carbohydrates so you will have enough energy to maintain high intensity throughout the workout.
Some people perform cardio first thing in the morning almost within moments of rolling out of bed. If eating a sensible meal doesn’t fit into your current schedule, then make sure you have at least planned to eat within an hour after your exercise session. This is where liquid drinks or balanced nutritional bars can be handy.
Whether you eat before or after exercising won’t affect the number of calories you burn, but having breakfast first might give you more energy and endurance. Some people prefer to just drink a glass of juice or perhaps have a piece of toast or yogurt. These are quick and easy to digest. If you choose toast, then add a thin spread of peanut butter. Be sure to drink water during exercise; about a half cup every 15 minutes. [/toggle]
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