Nestled alongside Althorp, in the village of Harlestone, Northampton Golf Club (NGC) has been supporting golfers for 130 years.
Golf is so much more than just a game – it’s a social sport, fantastic for your health and wellbeing and gets you out and about in the fresh air. The club’s Professionals and coaching team work with golfers of all abilities with their mobility, strength, swing motion, putting ability and more.
Jamie Greaves, founder of JG Golf Fitness, and resident strength and conditioning coach at NGC, shares five tips to help office workers to start to move and feel better both on and off the golf course.
Ten minutes daily mobility
The body likes movement but hours at a desk each day isn’t conducive to this. The good news just a few minutes daily can make a big difference. Ten minutes of movement a day equates to more than five hours’ worth per month. Little and often soon adds up. This can be broken down further into 5×2 minute chunks making it even more manageable
A nice practical tip is to perform a mobility move or two each time you are waiting for the kettle to boil. That 10 minutes would soon get done and just think how much better you’d feel a few weeks or month down the line of adding in that daily habit?
Move more
On a similar theme upping your daily steps can be game changing. The well-known 10K daily steps may seem a distant figure for you but don’t despair! Simply start where you are and try to increase it a little.
Tracking steps and measuring progress through things such as Fitbits, Apple Watches or even your Smartphone is a great idea for accountability. Take that lunchtime walk, give the dog an extra trip out or even play a few more holes each week!
Food prep
All the willpower in the world goes out the window when you’re hungry, tired and in a rush. The key to better nutrition is preparation. Investing a few minutes the night before to make lunch or get out a few healthy nutritious snacks to take to work with you the next day can make a big difference. This doesn’t need to be radical and indeed I would encourage you to just make small steps here. Even adding in one or two days each week where you bring in prepped food from home to start with will make a difference! Start small, make it a habit and build up from there.
Short strength sessions
Strength training is huge for golf and life! The benefits are endless but people are often put off by the time they perceive it will take and the thought of gyms themselves. The good news is you can make huge strides at home in as little as two or three short strength session each week. A few squats and push-ups in the TV ad breaks each night may not seem like much but much like mobility, little and often soon adds up.
Prioritise sleep
Sleep is still one of the most under appreciated areas of health and fitness. Getting adequate rest and recovery will increase your energy, boost your mood and make achieving other goals much more manageable.
So put your phone down at night (and don’t keep it in your room), turn Netflix off, get the room cool and dark and get off to bed a bit earlier.
For information on all things Golf, including visitor bookings, membership, golf days or corporate membership visit our website here or contact Luke Barney at golfmanager@northamptongolfclub.co.uk or call 01604 845155 and choose option 3 for the Pro Shop.
For further information on hospitality, corporate or private events, contact Claire Fletcher at enquiries@harlestonepark.co.uk or call 01604 845155 and choose option 1 for the office.
