by James Knolan

If you are really serious about playing at your best, then warming up is a critical first step. You may be mentally ready to play, but your body needs to be poised to perform. A regular warm up routine consisting of stretching and increasing blood flow is important. The body knows it is being prepared for physical exertion. Massage chairs have the ability to assist in the warm up and warm down for sports activities.

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.

Massage chairs can be effective to use as part of your warm up. A sports massage or shiatsu massage can be invigorating and get the blood flowing. Your golf swing requires the whole body to execute. Warming up the shoulders, back, lower body and arms is critical to a great shot and follow through.

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.

The goal of warming up prior to your round of golf is to get the heart beating. Increasing your heart rate will circulate more nutrients to the muscles making energy more abundant. Also, getting your muscles loosened up helps to increase their flexibility and elasticity. This helps your swing by having your muscles relaxed and not tense. Try to warm up just before your game. You do not want to cool down too much and have your muscles tighten back up.

Another effective warm up strategy is massage therapy. The best massage chairs from companies like Sanyo, Omega or Panasonic provide very effective massage therapy. Shiatsu massage therapy is an effective warm up massage. The EP30004 massage chair made by Panasonic has both shiatsu and Junetsu massage. These therapies help to warm up your muscles and increase the blood and nutrient flow in the body.

If you want to warm up your neck and shoulders, then try the HEC-DR7700 massage chair by Sanyo. Sanyo has developed a unique massage roller system that can effectively grip. This grip massage is very effective in the shoulder, neck and upper back areas. This is a great massage to get prior to playing golf.

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.

About the Author:

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