The final part considers joining a gym and look in more detail at Personal Training services. The golf season is less than three months away so what are you waiting for?

Flexibility is the buzz word for the Tour Professional. With the facility of a Physio Bus at every tournament, players walk out onto the course at their most flexible for every round. The staff on this mobile physio centre are the best there is. In a few minutes they can remedy most stiff backs or shoulders etc. and its all done away from the public gaze, something which is a barrier for stretching work at the club amateur level - if you walked towards the putting green, pre a medal, and found all the other competitors lying on the floor or using clubs as props to complete what would be a good pre play stretching routine, you would be embarrassed just as much as they could be. Its a seriously good thing for your golf ...but its just not part of the everyday game.

The Golf Channel uses a number of mini fitness segments throughout its programming, simple stretches that are not exhibitionist in any form. If you go to a physiotherapist, you can find a good dozen (stretches) on a very popular chart which is golf specific throughout. Never mid how easy they are, there is a time element (to complete them all) which would make the average club player the equal (in time committed) as the Tour player for making a round of golf a full day s worth.

Fitness and the game of golf is a balance. To make special preparations for a round is beyond most club members and there is the facet of no facilities at your everyday golf club so that the surround of the 1st tee is not littered with grunting and groaning golfers being more like athletes as they push joints and ligaments to their limits before play. Being generally fitter will improve any golfer s game and making your way to your club already more flexible than you used to be will mean making more of your swing - its better said that fitness for golf, at club level, is a lifestyle thing .

If you are a Senior Golfer, fitness which is weight training based could be the rejuvenation of your game. With some help and the support of your Doctor, you can make strength gains even into your 80 s. At any age, back and abs training will take you into the world of core stability ( The phrase in the Fitness world itself). The human body has grown taller with every generation, meaning that today s Juniors could be outstanding athletes but because of the way their lifestyle has changed, more and more bad posture (and the problems it will bring) is there and is not going away unless younger people grasp the fitness nettle .

Because there is money to be made (hundreds of millions of pounds), it has never been easier to buy some piece of kit or a book (or three) to inspire. If you do buy an abs trainer, or even a treadmill, there should be the specific advice to contact your Doctor before attempting anything (if its missing, throw your new purchase away). Some Doctors are able to embrace the concept of any of their patients who want to become fitter. Its more time consuming than more standard consulting so its not a guaranteed option. If you do have high blood pressure or one of a selection of what can be simple medical problems, no health club should take you on without its management consulting your doctor.

It will almost always be a reassurance from your doctor, and if is something to do with joints (inc. your back) your GP may well direct you to a physiotherapist to help guide you through starting to get fitter and then progressing, if you get the bug . Should you choose to take no advice, from a professional, then you are guaranteed to have aches and pains, you are more than likely to strain something, and you will find it a fight to get through the first phase of going from sedentary to playing 36 and then wanting to go for a run afterwards. You need inspiration to make that change unless you pay for a good PT who will make sure that you get fit perfectly. Joining a gym is not the inspirational value it should be because still 50% of people only make it through the doors a handful of times.

Parts II and III will look in detail at gyms and personal trainers. This is a comment on many many gyms, but with the ease that an instructor can be qualified plus the low pay at this staff level, the experience and the commitment to really help you is missing in many establishments. Too much is promised and then delivery can start at a high level only to fade away. Mixing much more in terms of leisure facilities (pools, Jacuzzis etc.) with rooms full of machinery and you can change the word gym to Health and Fitness Clubs. Whatever you call these facilities, if this is the best choice for you, make sure that they give you every bit of advice you can get from them. Part III will cover all of this in much more detail.

Aspiration is why (in particular) Mens Fitness Magazines are some of the most successful publications around. The range for women is not as extensive, or as successful and there are one or two crossover magazines such as Ultra-FIT which have editorial for both men and women. Take any of these magazines and you can disseminate them to some good info and advice, plus lots more lifestyle, some of which often pays regard to the success of golf in becoming a mainstream sport and not just in the fashion that our game has, now that checked jumpers are not standard dress. There is help and good advice, to go with editorial which takes reader experiences as it basis but if you are in your 40 s (both men and women) then the monthly printed magazine is probably not for you.

Books come in every size and cost, and every quality of editorial. There are some exercises that fit teenagers can do when they join the army, but are not suitable for anything other than producing strong soldiers. As you may well have seen on adverts for a directory enquiry service, yoga is a specialist and intricate program where progression is controlled by the instructor. Along with many other types of get fit workouts, it not something that an individual can rush into - you need advice and being able to miss out the first half of a book (or a video) because you find something you like the look of is a mistake. Some of the most detailed fitness manuals give biology lessons for their first few chapters and once again, memories can fade and learning be lost. There is always the temptation to overestimate your talents, your actual fitness levels.

Just like your golf game, your fitness demands commitment and management if it is to improve. Its a routine which needs to become part of your lifestyle if you are to change things. If you do become generally fitter - especially stronger and more flexible - you will arrive at the course better equipped, you will be able to warm up without getting our a physio table and as for those shots - longer, more consistent, more control .... Tiger and Michelle, watch out!