It is tempting to abandon your workouts during stressful times, but during these times, more than ever; you need to exercise your body. Staying fit will help you deal with added stress and help you keep your golf game sharp. You may have to get creative with how you exercise and fit practice into your schedule, but here are a few suggestions:

1. Consistency. It is better to do a few minutes of golf-specific stretches every day, than to wait until you have a couple of hours free at the end of the week. It usually never happens.

2. Work out in the morning before you play your round of golf or go to work. You may be too tired afterwards. Working out before your round of golf or before you start your work day will help you loosen your muscles.

3. Set goals you can reach-like setting a goal to warm up before every round and practice session or do a few stretches every day.

4. Find a workout partner. Get one of your golf buddies to start a golf-specific fitness program with you. That way you will have to be accountable to someone.

5. Kill two birds with one stone: walk while you play golf.

6. Find a fitness routine that you like and is easy to work into your busy schedule. Keep some light weights, resistance bands, and an exercise ball in your bedroom, so that you can do a few exercises in the morning and before you go to bed. Try the Cardiogolf 30-Day Challenge. 

7. Combine strength training and aerobic exercise. Instead of doing two separate workouts, combine weight training with cardiovascular exercises, it will not only speed up your heart rate to help build endurance, but will speed up the workout as well.

8. Hire a golf-specific fitness trainer (especially if you are a beginner). Take a live online golf-fitness class with Karen.

9. Watch a sports movie. If the movie, The Greatest Game Ever Played, about the 19- year-old teenager Francis Quimet beating Harry Vardon to win the US Open, doesn’t inspire and motivate you, nothing will.

10. Read my golf fitness blog. You will find the lasted information on golf fitness, nutrition and swing technique to help you improve your game.

For more tips visit: KPJgolf.com.

Take the 30-Day Challenge today

LPGA Teaching Professional Karen Palacios-Jansen was voted 2008 LPGA National and Southeast Section Teacher of the Year. Voted by Golf Digest Magazine as one of America’s “Top 50 Female Instructors” for 11 straight years, Karen has her own golf events company-Swing Blade Enterprises, as well as being a certified personal trainer. Her golf-specific fitness system called Cardiogolf is available on DVD and online. Karen lives in North Carolina with her husband Dan Jansen. Over the years she has helped thousands of golfers improve their golf games. For more information-visit http://www.kpjgolf.com.