There’s nothing quite like spending the weekend on the golf course. Getting to enjoy the outdoors with friends, drinks, and good weather is one of the best pastimes there is. But, even though the weekend might have been relaxing, it’s still important to prioritize recovery to stay on top of your fitness and ready for your next afternoon on the course. 

The Importance of Recovery 

No matter the sport of physical activity, recovery is integral to maintaining fitness. After any physical activity, the body needs time to repair and rebuild, so that you are ready for the next activity. While scheduling in or prioritizing recovery may seem like a waste of time, especially if you don’t feel sore or fatigued, making time for recovery sessions can increase your overall fitness. 

Recovery comes in many forms or fashions, with each method meant to help you recover in a different way. Choosing the right recovery for you is key to getting the most out of any recovery session. 

Recovery Ideas for Golf 

This list of five of the best ways to recover from your weekend golf trip will make sure you have adequately rested to play your best game when you and your friends get together for the next round.

Hydration

Since golfing is an outdoor sport, players spend a lot of time in the sun—especially since golf courses aren’t known for their shade. Post-golf weekend, be sure to prioritize hydration. Drinking water, especially, will help you replace the fluids in your body to make sure that you don’t deal with the impacts of dehydration. 

If you do feel dehydrated, trying a sports drink like Gatorade or Powerade or drinking coconut water can help you replenish the electrolytes you may have lost. It’s important to pay attention to your hydration even if you don’t feel thirsty. As we move into fall and the days feel cooler and drier, it’s a common misconception to think that you are hydrated, when really you may not be. 

Walking 

Recovery does not mean laying on the couch and watching TV, or spending the whole day inactive. One of the core tenets of recovery is that it needs to be activity. A light activity like walking is the perfect recovery exercise to allow your muscles to rest, but also keep them moving to prevent further muscle soreness or injury. 

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise because it is so accessible and doesn’t require any special equipment. For recovery, it is light and easy, so you don’t overdo it and end up with soreness—or worse, an injury. Recovery is all about injury prevention and maintaining your high fitness level. 

Let this be an easy walk. Lace up your sneakers for a stroll around the neighborhood with the intent to keep your muscles warmed up, but not working too hard. By preventing further stiffness and soreness, you will be able to get back to hitting hole-in-ones sooner rather than later.

Refuel 

Even if you don’t feel like you’ve worked that hard, golf can be a strenuous sport. You need endurance to last all those hours on the golf course, and golfers use their whole body to achieve the perfect swing. Make a fueling plan both during the game and after. 

Refueling is an important part in the recovery process because it helps you maintain muscle mass and reduce soreness. Immediately following the 18th hole, have a protein-rich fuel source ready. For many athletes, this means a protein shake. Shakes are great options because they are easy to prepare—you can buy pre-made shakes in a bottle or mix your own with protein powder—and have high amounts of protein. They also can provide a little bit of much-needed hydration. 

In the days following your golf weekend, focus on eating nutritious foods to replenish your body. The best recovery foods and meals will have both carbohydrates and protein. Examples include a turkey sandwich, homemade bean and cheese burrito, or even a peanut butter & jelly!

Stretching 

A list of the best ways to recover would not be complete without stretching. It’s easy to skip stretching, thinking you don’t need it or it is a waste of time, but stretching is one of the best things to do following your golf weekend. 

When you stretch, your muscles relax. This, in turn, accelerates the healing process because it increases blood flow to those areas. As with any form of exercise, some stretches are better than others. Golfers will want to focus on stretches for their back, hips, and hamstrings, as those are the muscles that do a lot of the work to get the ball across the green. 

Great options for stretches include the seated butterfly stretch, figure 4 stretch, kneeling hip flexor stretch, and the standing hamstring stretch. Twists are also good to activate and stretch your back muscles. It’s important to keep in mind that tight hamstrings and hips often lead to a tight and stiff lower back. By keeping your hips and hamstrings loose, you will be less likely to deal with lower back tightness, especially after a weekend of golf. 

Foam Rolling & Massage

Anyone who uses a foam roller can vouch for the benefits. Foam rolling can prevent pain and injury, as well as reduce muscle soreness. Foam rolling initiates myofascial release, which increases blood flow in the body. It’s a great method for muscle recovery, especially after a weekend golfing trip. Focus on the muscles you use the most in golf to release tension and work out soreness.

How ZOZOFIT Can Become Part of Your Recovery 

Your ZOZOFIT app can provide you with accurate body measurements to track muscle gain and loss, as well as weight gain or loss. When you scan with the ZOZOSUIT can also help you see where you might have swelling due to injury or overuse. Identifying these areas allows you to jump start healing by icing or elevating the body part. Continue to use the ZOZOFIT to see the swelling shrink as you apply relevant treatments to the area. 

We are proud to be a title sponsor of the ZOZO Championship in Japan.