5 Exercises to Strengthen Your Core Without Lifting Weights or Leaving the House

A strong core is the foundation of a good golf swing. More importantly, it allows your body to be ready-to-play more often, minus a lot of the lingering pain that derails a lot of golfers.

Here are five great core exercises you can use to strengthen your supporting muscles during the winter months so that you’re ready to hit the ground running when the weather turns nicer.

Get into a pushup position. Drop from your hands to your elbows. Try to keep your body straight–you should form a straight line from your shoulders all the way to your ankles. Hold it for as long as you can, up to a minute. Try to work up to the point where you can do three sets of one-minute planks. If you can eventually go beyond that, all the better!

2. Supermans

Supermans are designed to help strengthen your back muscles. A lot of people suffer from back pain during and after golf because their chest, shoulders, and abs are more built-up than their back muscles. This causes a muscle imbalance that can lead to potentially debilitating pain if left unchecked.

Lay down on the floor, flat on your stomach. Simultaneously raise your arms and legs as high as you can off the floor and hold it for a ten count. Relax. Repeat this ten times, and do it for three sets.

At first, you probably won’t be able to get very far off the ground. Eventually, you want to get to the point where your back is strong enough that you can lift your chest and hips off the ground while doing supermans. If you have a bad back already, make sure you consult with your doctor before trying these–you don’t want to make things worse.

Bicycles help work those pesky obliques and eliminate unsightly “love handles.” Your obliques are extremely important in golf for generating torque and power, as well as supporting the rest of the core muscles involved in your swing.

Lay on your back with your hands behind your head. Raise one knee in the air. Lay your other leg out straight so that it’s six inches off the ground. Bring your opposite elbow to the knee that’s raised–if your left knee is raised, bring your right knee to meet it. Now switch positions–raise your right knee and touch it with your left elbow.

Eventually, you’re going to want to build up speed and go as fast as possible. Do this for three sets of thirty seconds each. Gradually increase it as your fitness level improves, but as always, know your limits.

4. Squat and Hold

You don’t need a medieval-looking squat rack and tons of weights to get a good workout. In fact, not only are good old-fashioned squat and holds good for giving your legs a boost, but they also are fantastic for your lower back and the rest of your core–provided you keep proper form, of course.

Stand up straight. Bend your knees and drop your hips and rear end. DO NOT bend at the waist–not only is this not proper form, but it can potentially lead to injuries. Keep your weight on your heels and your back straight and upright. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds. Repeat this exercise three times. (I know the picture shows the woman holding her arms out straight, but in reality, you just want your arms anywhere but resting on your knees).

You can do a number of variations of squats, too: prisoner squats involve you placing your hands behind your head, so that your elbows are out of your field of view. If you’re feeling especially spry, instead of holding, you can do jump squats, where you squat briefly, then jump in the air, and land back in a squat. Squats really can make a big difference to your core and leg fitness pretty quickly, so explore some other types of squats out there.

Shoulder touches are often overlooked as a way to improve core strength. If you do them properly, you can work your entire core, front and back, without the need for weights or equipment.

Get in a push-up position. Quickly raise one of your hands and bring it to your opposite shoulder. Be careful not to roll or tilt your hips from side-to-side; the whole point of the exercise is to control your core and keep it straight! Bring your hand back to the ground, and quickly repeat for the other hand and shoulder.

Do these for three sets of one minute each. For a fun, added challenge, try to see how many you can do in a minute. Consistently try to improve this number and beat yourself–after all, that’s what golf’s all about, right?

If you keep at these exercises while it’s chilly outside, your body will almost certainly thank you once it’s nice enough to get out on the course again. A strong core is a great way to start losing pounds and strokes on the golf course, while gaining the fitness and confidence you need to succeed both on the golf course and off.