Health and Fitness Benefits
“Having successfully come back from hip surgery to participate in the 2010 Olympics, I’m always looking for new ways to improve my conditioning. Since recently integrating the SFPro into my training program, I have increased the range of motion in my left hip and lower back in a very short period of time! I look forward to achieving more gains in the longer term through continued training with the SFPro!”
- Ryan Semple, Olympic and World Cup skier, Ottawa, Ontario
“I’m very pleased with the added benefits the SFPro brings to the Be In Motion Physiotherapy clinic’s programs. The SFPro’s unique design and functionality provide an excellent method for strengthening core muscles and are very effective in rehabilitating thoracic spine injuries”
- Brian Empey, Registered Physiotherapist and Certified Athletic Therapist, Oakville, Ontario
Golf and General Fitness
Today’s world of professional golf is characterized more by athletic ability and prowess than at any other time in golf history and this trend is continuing. More than ever before, golfers are motivated by the fitness element of the game. Whether it is to get an edge on the competition, to prevent or rehabilitate injuries or to promote longevity, the fitness trend is real.
The increased activity in the fitness trailers on the PGA, European and Champions tours bear testimony to the rising interest in golf fitness. Most fitness equipment is designed for generic exercises which call upon the creativity of fitness gurus to adapt the exercises to the specific motions, muscles and joints used in the golf swing.
Some experts consider the golf swing to be one of the most complex movements in all of sport. A properly executed golf swing calls on most of the body’s muscles and joints to work in perfect harmony to deliver explosive power within a few seconds. It therefore stands to reason that finding exercise equipment to meet the training needs of golfers is a challenging endeavour.
The SFPro is a complete golf exercise system designed specifically with golfing muscles and joints in mind. All the movements performed in the SFPro emulate the golf swing. Whether it be a specific component of the swing or the entire rotation, all of the SFPro exercises can be performed with gradual resistance to promote strength and flexibility.
Some of the lesser known muscles such as the transverse abdominis are critical to spinal stability which is essential to a successful repeatable golf swing. The SFPro is excellent for exercising the transverse abdominis given its unique and revolutionary features of rotation, forward spine angle and gradual resistance working in unison.
Even for those who have little to no interest in golf, the SFPro provides a full and unique training experience that will flatten tummies, strengthen core muscles, improve flexibility in the hips and shoulders, increase range of motion and reduce or even eliminate lower back pain.
Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation
The SFPro is primarily a posture and spine angle retention system and therefore promotes proper form in the execution of the golf swing which translates into injury prevention and in some cases, into injury rehabilitation. The fact that most golfers adopt an improper posture at the start of the golf swing greatly increases the risk of injury in the performance of that swing.
Most of the injuries occurring from improper posture are related to stress in the spine and certain joints. For example, if a golfer’s spine is slouched or stooped over, the golfer will likely be unable to make a proper shoulder turn and spine rotation during the swing, but rather will be tempted to slide the hips away from the target on the back swing, creating what is commonly referred to as a “reverse pivot” position at the top of the swing.
The opposite occurs on the through swing where some weekend amateurs shove the hips forward towards the target and reverse the spine angle in a dangerous motion to the right and away from the target. This type of lateral spine shifting is very risky and can lead to a number of spinal instabilities that can cause a variety of spinal discomforts. Injuries such as herniated and crushed disks are not uncommon in golf. Using the SFPro on a regular basis will train the golfer to recognize and become comfortable with correct posture. The SFPro will also help the golfer learn to properly rotate the shoulders above a much more stable spine.
Regular use of the SFPro will activate and strengthen a very specific and necessary middle layer stabilizer muscle group of the spine called the transverse abdominis. Research conducted in Australia concluded that the transverse abdominis plays a major role in stabilizing the spine. It is suggested that there is a link between the strength and condition of the transverse abdominis and spinal stability and that lower back pain is often attributed to a weak transverse abdominis. The SFPro is the solution for a stonger transvere abdominis!