Summer Sport Preparation

By Gini Grimsley

Summer can be one of the most active times of the year. Warm weather and longer days present the perfect opportunity to enjoy outdoor activities, and golf, tennis, and swimming are three of the most popular. Instead of starting from scratch every summer, spend a bit of time training your core and focusing on hip and shoulder mobility in the spring. It will help you improve your performance significantly!

The term “core” is considered the trunk or torso of the body minus the arms, legs, and head. It is the common thread that ties these three sports together and is responsible for transducing, producing, and reducing power. Hip and shoulder mobility are also important. You can have washboard abs, but if range of motion is limited at either of those major joints, overall performance will suffer, and joint irritation can occur.

Core Training for Performance

There are two major types of core training that will create better performance overall: static and dynamic core exercises. Static core exercises, such as planks and bridges, prevent movement in the torso and involve all the major muscles, including the abdominals, glutes, back erectors, and shoulder girdle. Dynamic core exercises create movement through the core. While crunches might be the most popular, there are many other ways to dynamically train the core, including leg raises, side bends, and medicine ball throws, all of which complement training for summer sports.

A few of my favorite go-to core exercises are:

• 45-Degree Back Extensions

• Medicine Ball Lateral Toss

• Plank Shoulder Taps

Improve Mobility to Achieve Full Range of Motion

Hip and shoulder mobility support core training. Having full range of motion to swing a golf club helps keep stress out of the lower back and effectively use the power you’ve created from core training. Ample shoulder mobility makes the more challenging butterfly and breast strokes less stressful on the neck and creates a more streamlined, efficient kicking position. Tennis requires both hip and shoulder mobility and is the most dynamic of the three sports. Static stretching is the most common way to increase flexibility, but multi-joint lifting exercises are a lesser-known way to improve overall mobility. Adding strength to the hips and shoulders will not only make them stronger but will help to keep them stable through larger ranges of motion.

Try these hip mobility exercises:

• 1.5 Stance Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

• Lateral Lunge

• Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

To increase shoulder mobility, incorporate these exercises into your workout and warm up routines:

• Landmine Single Arm Press

• Resistance Band Shoulder Pass-Through

• Standing Doorway Pec Stretch

Before you hit the links, courts, or pool, make sure you’ve properly prepared your body so you can avoid injury and maximize performance. Creating strength in the core and mobility around your major joints will help you improve performance and reduce the common aches and pains associated with these sports so you can enjoy playing all summer long.

About the Author

Gini Grimsley is the Director of Fitness Product for VASA Fitness where she creates cutting-edge fitness programming for VASA’s clubs across eight states.

Gini Grimsley