Easy To Do, Easy Not To Do

Almost every morning I go the local 24hour Fitness facility and walk about 3 miles on the treadmill, do a little weight training and some golf specific exercises with our PowerSwing Trainer. I know it’s better to walk outside in the fresh air watching the birds and embracing nature but, for me at 4am, it’s really dark and nature is still sleeping.

While I walk I utilize one of the greatest inventions of my lifetime…the IPOD. I used to lug around that old CD player or Walkman with audio tapes. Audio tapes…what’s that, some of the younger readers are asking. Anyway, I will sometimes listen to music, but mostly I listen to motivating or inspirational speakers to get myself pumped up for the day and more importantly to learn something new.

I just finished an audio book written by Jeff Olson called, The Slight Edge. Jeff Olson is a successful entrepreneur, expert in personal development and motivational speaker. His basic theory in the book is that the choices we make throughout the day, and we make thousands of them, are either working toward our goal or away from it.

He theorizes that the choices we make are Easy to Do and Easy Not to Do and that, over time, our actions accumulate either positively or negatively. An example is going to the gym every day, or at least 3 days a week. It is easy to do and it is also easy not to do. If you choose to go to the gym one day to start your workout program, will you walk out built like Tiger Woods that day? No. As a matter of fact, except for feeling pretty good, you probably won’t notice any difference at all that day. If you don’t go to the gym to begin your program will you turn into a couch potato that day? No. You probably won’t notice any difference on that day either. But, if you do go to the gym every other day and stick with your program for a month, the cumulative affect will be noticeable and you will definitely see results. If you never go back to the gym, you will see the opposite results. The same goes for healthy eating habits. You can choose to eat nutritious food on a regular basis or you can choose to have your own personal booth at Mickie D’s. You will either get healthier or start to put the stress test on the seams of your pants.

So, how does this relate to golf fitness? Well, let’s take warming up at the course before you play for an example. How many of you reading this actually warm up your body before swinging your clubs? Raise your hands. I don’t see very many hands. But seriously, this is a perfect example of Easy to Do and Easy Not to Do. Warming up before every round will have a cumulative affect on your body and your mind, and it is easy to do. Adding in some golf specific exercises every other day or so will have a beneficial affect as well. Start with some exercises that you can stick with and are easy to do. Make a decision to walk instead of ride a cart every other round. Swing a weighted club on a regular basis. Strengthen your core muscles on a balance/fitness ball. Walk 3 miles on a treadmill at 4am when it’s dark outside while listening to your IPOD. This magazine is full of easy exercises that will jump start your program and routine. Heck, you can buy a one of our PowerSwing Trainers and carry it with you everywhere you go (shameless plug).

If you are reading this post, which you are, and you love playing golf, which you do, then make a promise to yourself that you will make decisions that have a cumulative, compounding, positive affect on your game and your life. Easy to Do and Easy Not to Do….it’s your choice.

This has been a public service announcement from the GolfGym Guy. Hey, that was easy to do!!!!!