Golf and FitnessTips from LPGA Teaching Professional, Personal Trainer and creator of Cardiogolf Karen Palacios-Jansen

Many of you have been playing golf for months now, but unfortunately, your scores may not be improving.  Golf requires a high degree of athletic ability and coordination. If you only play a couple times a month, it is hard to expect improvement, especially if you are not doing golf-specific exercises to improve your flexibility, strength, stability and balance.

If your game needs a boost, try a few golf-specific exercises to help your body move better.

I do what is called a Cross Crawl exercise before I play or practice to help me not only warm up muscles and joints, but also to help activate both sides of my brain, so I can function and think effectively. The Cross Crawl, or cross crawl marching as it is sometimes called, will  activate your brain and nervous system to give it the proper motor and  sensory stimuli it needs to take control of your bodily functions so you can swing better.

Cross Cross exercise can help you:

* improve problems with coordination and erratic body movements

* improve your attention

*eliminate disorientation and confusion

* improve problems solving  and sense of direction

*and improve your ability to perform tasks that involve both sides of the body like the swinging a golf club.

Try this Cross Crawl exercise the next time your play or practice-

Stand holding the club parallel to the ground.

Simply lift your knee up and across to the opposite elbow.

Repeat on other side. Alternate lifting knees to opposite elbows.

Do exercise for 15 to 30 seconds.

This exercise activates both sides of the brain and will help promote rotation and improve balance.