This series of yoga poses is designed to strengthen the back, thus increasing power, distance, and consistency while reducing your risk of injury.

Over the last 15 years, my focus has been on training athletes, primarily golfers. Considering the most common injury among golfers is the back, I decided to develop this series of exercises that not only support greater golf performance but will help you feel healthier off the golf course.

Remember your body is three-dimensional, so we need to pay attention to the entire core of the body, not just a specific area of the back. We begin with some simple but effective abdominal exercises. Pay attention to breathing deeply, specifically exhaling on the exertion phase of the exercises.

Abdominal “Press-Downs”:

This pose activates the transverse abdominus, the lowest part of the abdominal region as well as the pelvic floor. This area also called the perineum, which is supported by a “web-like” collection of muscles, similar to that of the webbing on the seat of an outdoor chair. This is important because this “webbing” supports the spine by holding it upright and giving support to the organs of the low belly.

Lying on your back, place a towel or block between the inner thighs. Place the hands behind the neck or next to the body. Squeeze the towel as much as possible and press your abdominals, specifically the area below the navel, toward the floor. Hold for a slow count of 10. Pay attention to continued breathing through the nose. Repeat three times resting for one minute between sets.

Tip: When doing this exercise, try to imagine that you had a penny beneath your low back and the action of the spine pressing toward the floor would make an imprint of the penny in the carpet.

Abdominal “Press-Downs” with Crunches:

Continue to maintain this action in the lower abdominals. Place the hands behind the neck supporting the head.



On your exhalation, lift the upper body toward the ceiling. Continue for a set of 15, rest for one minute and repeat three times.

Note: Think about lifting the sternum and face toward the ceiling; do not pull on the neck.

Extended Table pose:



Begin on all fours, pulling the abdominals in, maintaining a straight spine. Lift the right leg, squeezing the gluts and lift the left arm. Visualize increasing the length between the right foot and the left hand. Focus toward the floor. Hold for a slow count of five. Switch sides and repeat two times.

Locust pose and “The Superman”:



On your belly, begin by pulling the lower abdominals toward the spine, squeeze the gluts tightly, pressing the tailbone down. Lift the right leg and the left arm. Hold for a slow count of five and switch sides. Repeat two times.



Rest for one minute and begin the “Superman” position by squeezing the gluts as tight as possible. Note: Engaging the gluts is critical as it provides support for the low back. Slowly lift the legs off the floor and then lift the arms. Hold for a count of five, rest and repeat three times.

Once you have completed these poses, come to all fours completing a series of cat/cow poses and then rest into a child’s pose. These poses are considered “counter-poses” -- exercises that balance the strengthening work with flexibility work.


Katherine Roberts is founder and president of Katherine Roberts Yoga for Golfers, a 10-year-old publishing and fitness consulting company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. As a fitness expert and a regular contributor for The Golf Channel, she has appeared on The Big Break, Makeover Challenge, Your Game Night, the PGA Merchandising Show Recap and How Low Can you Go? Katherine is the producer of nine DVDs and author of the ground-breaking book Yoga for Golfers (McGraw-Hill). Roberts’ unique approach to golf conditioning is a hybrid of western biomechanical research and eastern mind/body conditioning for performance. Yoga for Golfers is dedicated to helping people achieve balanced performance both on and off the course. www.yogaforgolfers.com