Sunday, November 30, 2008

Augment Your Golf Game Utilizing a Shiatsu Chair Recliner

By James Knolan

If you golf, then you know that warming up prior to playing is an important prerequisite. Warm up consists of proper stretching to elongate your muscles and to increase the range of mobility of your joints. It is important to loosen tight muscles and get them prepared for your golf game. This helps to improve your performance and to lessen the chance of injury. Massage chairs have incorporated many important massage therapy functions that can help prepare you for your next golf tournament.

You may have to play golf with back pain or shoulder pain. Maybe this is from a previous injury or sometimes, things just go. Shoulder and back pain are like little grains of sand that tend to just grind on you. You play, but that pain has to be overcome. This can be especially aggravating for you golf swing. The swing is the critical movement in golf. Small changes in you swing make for wide variation of where the ball gets placed after you hit.

The cause of your back or shoulder pain may be from injury or from improper warm up and warm down prior to strenuous activities. Simple movements done on a repetitive basis can cause a breakdown of the muscle tissue causing it to be less flexible. Warming up and down helps to increase the flexibility and elasticity of the muscles. Using a massage chair recliner helps to loosen your muscles, enhance your blood circulation and increase mental alertness.

Believe it or not, tight shoulder and back muscles are the leading cause of golf related back problems. The twisting motion of a full swing puts stress on your whole body with particular emphasis on your spine. This side to side motion is always done on the same side of the body, since few of us our switch hitters. All the stress is put more on one side of the body over the other. Since this swing motion is repeated throughout the course of the tournament, the back and shoulder tighten up reducing flexibility.

Prior to your next golf outing, try a simple warm up routine. Your warm up should include basic stretching. Stretch out the legs, arms and your torso. You want to get your muscles flexible in the movements you will make when golfing. You can go for a short walk to get your blood flowing and pick up your heart rate. This helps to get nutrients flowing to your muscles. Make sure you warm up starting 30 minutes before you play. You do not want to start too early to warm up.

Shiatsu massage therapy is a great way to get an invigorating warm up. Shiatsu effectively warms up the muscles, increases blood flow and increase alertness. Some of the top manufacturers of massage chairs like Panasonic, Omega and Sanyo have shiatsu massage therapy. A very effective model of massage chair is the Panasonic EP 30004.

Sanyo has a model HEC-DR7700 that has a gripping massage which is perfect for warming up or down the shoulders and neck areas. Sanyo uses its unique GK roller system which has the capability to reach out around your shoulders and neck. The increased range of the rollers helps to more thoroughly cover your neck and shoulders. This is effective in loosening up your muscles and getting them ready for action.

Omega has their Montage Premier Massage chair with a lower body traction system and full body heat. The lower body traction system of the Montage Premier will stretch out your lower body. It will hold your feet in the foot rest and it extends out to stretch your lower back, hips, knees and ankles. This improves your range of motion and joint mobility. Use the full body heat to help warm up your muscles or to warm down. Heat helps increase blood flow and helps the healing process.

If you do not take warm up seriously, you can end up with an injury. Golf requires a repetitive swinging motion. To swing effectively, your muscles need to be flexible. If your muscles are tight, then your swing will be off. When the muscles are not pliable, then injury can result. Massage therapy is great method for warming up the body. Many professional athletes use sports massage therapy prior to strenuous activity. A good shiatsu style massage can get you primed for your next golf game. A massage chair is an effective way to get warmed up, which may just be your ace in the hole. - 16003

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