Gaining mobility post 40

[BogeyTed]

41 year old bloke here. 

 

Done sports my entire life, but after turning 35 my body started acting up. 

 

Recently had a hip surgery, and waiting on another one. Also trying to navigate shoulder tendinosis, thumb tendinitis, jumpers knee and what not. Also struggle a lot with my neck and tension headaches. 

 

Despite being pretty diligent with rehabilitation workouts, I feel my entire body getting stiffer on a daily basis. 

 

I've decided to start getting massages, but as someone who's always believed results comes from effort, I'd like to know some exercises that can help my mobility and stiffness. 

 

Can anyone suggest 4-5 exercises for stretching etc that will help me both with my body and golf? 

 

I've thought about yoga, but I don't have much time for that with full time jobs, kid and my other rehab workouts. 

 

Cheers

[Johnny Biarritz]

I’m following for more suggestions given that I’m 43 and increasingly tighter.

 

But what I’m doing right now are some basic stretches, hip stretches basically leaning into a lunge, some core/spine stretches by twisting either sitting or a more dynamic motion, and a Good Morning stretch for the rear of the body. For weights, I do pretty basic big muscle group exercise since I’m still in the n00b gainz phase of strength training, or regaining strength. Squat, bench, deadlift (there is no reason to be alive if you can’t do deadlift; I suspect not many will get that reference), overhead press, and ab work. 3 sets of 5 on each lift with modest weight, 3 sets of 10 on abs. I’m in and out of the gym in 20-30 minutes. Stretches can be done where ever. I’d say even if you just do bodyweight squats and pushups, you’ll see mobility improve just by moving around. Results may vary, I’m not a doctor nor a personal trainer.

[Ri_Redneck]

I will be 63 this year and I do a combination of light yoga and stretching every day from 4:15a to 5a. If I miss a day, I KNOW IT!! Old Man Time is a cruel character.

 

BT

[ezra76]

49 and had hernia mesh repair in March. I do compound movements. Squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench as my core exercises. I do a lot accessory movements and stretching. I like goblet squats super wide with a 45lb plate. Step-ups onto 2nd step of my deck and press a 15lb dumbell in opposite hand overhead. Speed stick workouts have really improved my lower back and shoulder turn. So much so I notice it in my truck looking left or right for coming traffic 😆. 

 

I stopped drinking and started thc and trt. That also helped a lot. 

[phizzy30]

Basic full body stretches you can look up on youtube.  Stretch each muscle for 30 seconds.  Only takes up about 20 minute of your time.  As for stiffness, I highly recommend a massage chair or something like a thera-gun at the very least.  I'm turning 45 next month and have a basic static/dynamic stretching routine and use a thera-gun and massage chair religiously.  It helps tremendously.  

[Saijin]

17 hours ago, BogeyTed said:

41 year old bloke here. 

 

Done sports my entire life, but after turning 35 my body started acting up. 

 

Recently had a hip surgery, and waiting on another one. Also trying to navigate shoulder tendinosis, thumb tendinitis, jumpers knee and what not. Also struggle a lot with my neck and tension headaches. 

 

Despite being pretty diligent with rehabilitation workouts, I feel my entire body getting stiffer on a daily basis. 

 

I've decided to start getting massages, but as someone who's always believed results comes from effort, I'd like to know some exercises that can help my mobility and stiffness. 

 

Can anyone suggest 4-5 exercises for stretching etc that will help me both with my body and golf? 

 

I've thought about yoga, but I don't have much time for that with full time jobs, kid and my other rehab workouts. 

 

Cheers

Hey man, I'd talk to a dietician and a physical coach to start.

I'd look for them at a high competitive type gym then branch off looking for an athletic coach that also does callesthenics .

 

 

[otto6457]

To see a lot of mobility options and exercises go to:  https://www.mytpi.com/exercises/#filter?area=fitness&page=1

 

Click on Advanced filter/Search.  Tic the Mobility box and there are 2 full pages of exercises and stretches to get started on.

[RSLP]

youtube "mobility by julia.reppel"

[indianagolf2]

Chiropractic adjustment getting alot of praise is called ring dinger...search YouTube. Not many chirop do it..but its powerfull. Technique originated from guy in Texas. People have traveled from different countries for this. 

[Riga]

On 7/25/2025 at 1:48 AM, BogeyTed said:

41 year old bloke here. 

 

Done sports my entire life, but after turning 35 my body started acting up. 

 

Recently had a hip surgery, and waiting on another one. Also trying to navigate shoulder tendinosis, thumb tendinitis, jumpers knee and what not. Also struggle a lot with my neck and tension headaches. 

 

Despite being pretty diligent with rehabilitation workouts, I feel my entire body getting stiffer on a daily basis. 

 

I've decided to start getting massages, but as someone who's always believed results comes from effort, I'd like to know some exercises that can help my mobility and stiffness. 

 

Can anyone suggest 4-5 exercises for stretching etc that will help me both with my body and golf? 

 

I've thought about yoga, but I don't have much time for that with full time jobs, kid and my other rehab workouts. 

 

Cheers

The genesis of nearly every malady is poor diet, lack of exercise, lack of sunlight and chronic stress.  You should be healthy for 90 years then get sick and die, not have chronic inflammation and atherosclerosis detectable by age 10.

 

Riga

[Buddon _Burn]

Also following and have a few parallels - early 40s, lifted 'heavy' weights for a period in my 20s during my hiatus from golf and have had recurring shoulder problems ever since. Also occasional wrist/thumb issues. My shoulder/neck has deteriorated to the point where I've had 4 periods out of golf over the last 3-4 years (ranging from a week to the worst one being about 4 months). Had a lot of physio help following the worst instance (a fairly bad tear) but not recently. I've very recently taken up pilates with the aim of increasing mobility/strength in that area in particular but also overall given my flexibility generally is terrible for my age in my view. I've spent about the last 15 years working very long hours at a desk and think that is the main culprit here. My aim is to do regular pilates for a few months then likely add in some gentle strength work in the gym. I've had a recent realisation (better late than never) that I need to 'use it or lose it' and that golf could very realistically become a thing of the past for me if I don't do something serious about the path I'm going down. 

[sundaypins]

On 7/25/2025 at 1:48 AM, BogeyTed said:

41 year old bloke here. 

Can anyone suggest 4-5 exercises for stretching etc that will help me both with my body and golf? 

 

Hard to say without seeing first hand but since golf IS a stretching exercise in itself, stretching is about the only thing I do with either stretch bands or hand weights.  For instance, holding two  dumbbells at address and making full range slow motion pivot is a good exercise, many more. 

[Simpsonia]

It's not just mobility. People get tendonitis and other injuries because they aren't strong enough. Build up the muscle so that it can take the abuse. Start with core exercises like squats, RDLs, military press, etc. I was in the same boat (at 42), constantly at the PT for some injury/tendonitis. Finally took my PT's advice and started lifting, and I haven't had an injury in two years now. 

[MK7Golf21]

3 minutes ago, Simpsonia said:

It's not just mobility. People get tendonitis and other injuries because they aren't strong enough. Build up the muscle so that it can take the abuse. Start with core exercises like squats, RDLs, military press, etc. I was in the same boat (at 42), constantly at the PT for some injury/tendonitis. Finally took my PT's advice and started lifting, and I haven't had an injury in two years now. 

lifting is great but you have to keep in mind that there are tons of people injured by squats, rdl, military press etc. and much more serious injuries from the excessive force. These are very hard exercises to perform correctly and even then there is risk of injury. Don’t buy into the good form=risk free because it’s not true. 
 

Lifting and being active is very good for you like you said. I’m just more careful in what I do in the gym. 
 

 

[Simpsonia]

6 minutes ago, MK7Golf21 said:

lifting is great but you have to keep in mind that there are tons of people injured by squats, rdl, military press etc. and much more serious injuries from the excessive force. These are very hard exercises to perform correctly and even then there is risk of injury. Don’t buy into the good form=risk free because it’s not true. 
 

Lifting and being active is very good for you like you said. I’m just more careful in what I do in the gym. 
 

 

 

Nobody is suggesting that someone jump straight into setting one rep maxes or anything. s***, even just squatting the bar would help most desk-jockeys (like myself). It's this kind of talk that scares people off of lifting and probably causes more injuries than it saves. It's really hard to maintain strength into your 40s without strenuous exercise, and if you don't keep it up, your 60s are gonna be even worse. 

[MK7Golf21]

2 minutes ago, Simpsonia said:

 

Nobody is suggesting that someone jump straight into setting one rep maxes or anything. s***, even just squatting the bar would help most desk-jockeys (like myself). It's this kind of talk that scares people off of lifting and probably causes more injuries than it saves. It's really hard to maintain strength into your 40s without strenuous exercise, and if you don't keep it up, your 60s are gonna be even worse. 

I’ve lifted for over a decade, I’ve done it all. If all you got out of what I said was 1 rep maxes and not lifting at all then I’m not sure what to tell you. 

[ShortGolfer]

I got elbow tendonitis hitting a cheap mat.  I now use a Fiberbuilt mat. I took a winter off from swinging for recovery.  Graphite shafts are known to be better at reducing the stress on the body that steel.

[MK7Golf21]

1 minute ago, ShortGolfer said:

I got elbow tendonitis hitting a cheap mat.  I now use a Fiberbuilt mat. I took a winter off from swinging for recovery.  Graphite shafts are known to be better at reducing the stress on the body that steel.

get the green flexbar and do the exercises with it. I had some tennis elbow many years ago and this fixed it. 

[markmcco]

Fitforgolf app has a good mobility section and stretch section - similar to TPI mobility library.

[golferdude54]

Don't discount yoga, a lot of the popular stretches you see stem from yoga. However, the extreme backbends from yoga do not really make sense from an evolutionary perspective when it comes to the human body. That type of range of motion of spinal extension has been linked with pinched lumbar nerves among other lumbar issues. Just the lying cobra pose and kneeling palms grab soles pose are enough for backbends. 

 

Most of yoga poses already count as stretches, they're not mutually exclusive so you do have time to do them.

[bluedot]

22 hours ago, MK7Golf21 said:

lifting is great but you have to keep in mind that there are tons of people injured by squats, rdl, military press etc. and much more serious injuries from the excessive force. These are very hard exercises to perform correctly and even then there is risk of injury. Don’t buy into the good form=risk free because it’s not true. 
 

Lifting and being active is very good for you like you said. I’m just more careful in what I do in the gym. 
 

 

With all due respect, this isn't, on balance, good advice.  I'm 73 and I've been lifting regularly for almost 50 years; my next injury CAUSED by lifting will be my first; same with my friends who workout regularly. 

 

It's possible to injure yourself doing almost anything incorrectly, including weightlifting.  And overdoing anything, including weightlifting, is also a path to injury.

 

That said, the number of people that workout regularly and get injured, either from the workouts themselves, or from another activity like golf, is very small compared to injuries and limitations suffered by the number of people that don't workout.  There is a mountain of data available that shows the benefits of resistance training as we age; there's no disputing that.

 

Beyond that, workouts for golf have come a long, long way in the last few years.  Track athletes have been doing workouts that look nothing like their events but enhance their performance for decades; other sports have followed, and now golf has moved a long way in that direction.  A good full body workout that is directly related to the golf swing isn't especially time consuming, and doesn't involve amounts of weight that risk injury.  The proper techniques required to perform the exercises that enhance the golf swing are also not difficult to perform.

 

As an example, a lot of golf workouts include either a farmer's carry or a suitcase carry using a kettle bell; this helps with spine stability and core strength under load, which is critical in a fast, explosive movement like the golf swing.  Those exercises are about as low risk as I can imagine; the technique is simple, and if you can pick up the kettle bell you're going to use, it won't hurt you.  I could go on, but you get the idea.

 

People that lift heavy with compound lifts like squats, dead lifts, Military Press, and RDL's are doing something else; that is NOT in any way about the golf swing.  

 

I'll go one step farther with this.  People that are serious about golf (or at least believe themselves to be serious) that do NOT workout regularly, are not only missing a great opportunity to swing better and perhaps faster, as well as staying injury free, but they are often utilizing a rationalization for not lifting.  Fear of injury is high on the list of those rationalizations.  

[MK7Golf21]

6 minutes ago, bluedot said:

With all due respect, this isn't, on balance, good advice.  I'm 73 and I've been lifting regularly for almost 50 years; my next injury CAUSED by lifting will be my first; same with my friends who workout regularly. 

 

It's possible to injure yourself doing almost anything incorrectly, including weightlifting.  And overdoing anything, including weightlifting, is also a path to injury.

 

That said, the number of people that workout regularly and get injured, either from the workouts themselves, or from another activity like golf, is very small compared to injuries and limitations suffered by the number of people that don't workout.  There is a mountain of data available that shows the benefits of resistance training as we age; there's no disputing that.

 

Beyond that, workouts for golf have come a long, long way in the last few years.  Track athletes have been doing workouts that look nothing like their events but enhance their performance for decades; other sports have followed, and now golf has moved a long way in that direction.  A good full body workout that is directly related to the golf swing isn't especially time consuming, and doesn't involve amounts of weight that risk injury.  The proper techniques required to perform the exercises that enhance the golf swing are also not difficult to perform.

 

As an example, a lot of golf workouts include either a farmer's carry or a suitcase carry using a kettle bell; this helps with spine stability and core strength under load, which is critical in a fast, explosive movement like the golf swing.  Those exercises are about as low risk as I can imagine; the technique is simple, and if you can pick up the kettle bell you're going to use, it won't hurt you.  I could go on, but you get the idea.

 

People that lift heavy with compound lifts like squats, dead lifts, Military Press, and RDL's are doing something else; that is NOT in any way about the golf swing.  

 

I'll go one step farther with this.  People that are serious about golf (or at least believe themselves to be serious) that do NOT workout regularly, are not only missing a great opportunity to swing better and perhaps faster, as well as staying injury free, but they are often utilizing a rationalization for not lifting.  Fear of injury is high on the list of those rationalizations.  

so you said it was bad advice and then basically agreed with me. 

[Nard_S]

What worked best for me past 45 was well rounded balance of cardio, stretching & strength training. Over stressing one over others is not ideal.

[naval2006]

I took up pilates a couple of months ago.  It's been a great boost for my core, a neglected part of my body.  In my class there's two other guys in their 40's who train polo ponies and they need to unwind after hours on horseback. 

[bluedot]

12 minutes ago, MK7Golf21 said:

so you said it was bad advice and then basically agreed with me. 

I ONLY agree with you that if certain compound lifts are done incorrectly AND with very heavy weights, it can cause injury, though in my experience even that is rare to the point of being unheard of and not a real risk. 

 

And fwiw, I don't know of any golf specific workout routines that include military presses or RDLs anyway.  Even squats and deadlifts are relatively rare in golf workouts; a much more common set of exercises might be split squats using DBs or kettle bells, and something like a squat jump using DBs or kettle bells.  Those exercises are easy to perform correctly, and primarily rely on body weight; they are essentially risk free unless you drop a kettle ball on your toe at the end.

 

Beyond that ONE possible qualifier, there is literally NO downside to working out, and great benefits to be had; for golf, for general health, and for mitigating the aging process.  Implying that injuries from lifting are common simply isn't true; lifting prevents injuries rather than causing them.

[MK7Golf21]

10 minutes ago, bluedot said:

I ONLY agree with you that if certain compound lifts are done incorrectly AND with very heavy weights, it can cause injury, though in my experience even that is rare to the point of being unheard of and not a real risk. 

 

And fwiw, I don't know of any golf specific workout routines that include military presses or RDLs anyway.  Even squats and deadlifts are relatively rare in golf workouts; a much more common set of exercises might be split squats using DBs or kettle bells, and something like a squat jump using DBs or kettle bells.  Those exercises are easy to perform correctly, and primarily rely on body weight; they are essentially risk free unless you drop a kettle ball on your toe at the end.

 

Beyond that ONE possible qualifier, there is literally NO downside to working out, and great benefits to be had; for golf, for general health, and for mitigating the aging process.  Implying that injuries from lifting are common simply isn't true; lifting prevents injuries rather than causing them.

I agree working out is great for you and should be done. Don’t agree that compound lifts done heavy and with incorrect form is rare to cause injury. 
 

Regarding kettlebells, I recently read on a forum a post from a young girl who was doing kettlebell swings and herniated a couple discs in her neck doing the exercise. Had to get medical attention who found she herniated a couple discs. Many videos out there showing the form she used as “correct”, keep head looking straight ahead during the swing. Well that pinched the discs in her neck on the swing down. I felt bad for her. Not trying to cause fear or something, just awareness. 

[Simpsonia]

55 minutes ago, MK7Golf21 said:

I agree working out is great for you and should be done. Don’t agree that compound lifts done heavy and with incorrect form is rare to cause injury. 
 

Regarding kettlebells, I recently read on a forum a post from a young girl who was doing kettlebell swings and herniated a couple discs in her neck doing the exercise. Had to get medical attention who found she herniated a couple discs. Many videos out there showing the form she used as “correct”, keep head looking straight ahead during the swing. Well that pinched the discs in her neck on the swing down. I felt bad for her. Not trying to cause fear or something, just awareness. 

 

The problem when you keep coming in with stories of caution of injuries from any sort of lifting is that it does create fear. In reality, driving your car to work is probably much more dangerous than the risk of injury from working out. 

Edited July 29 by Simpsonia

[MK7Golf21]

5 minutes ago, Simpsonia said:

 

The problem when you keep coming in with stories of caution of injuries from any sort of lifting is that it does create fear. In reality, driving your car to work is probably much more dangerous than the risk of injury from working out. 

any sort of lifting? Never said that once. That is called strawman argument. Talking about injuries and safety in the gym shouldn’t be avoided. 

[iutodd]

General advice: Yoga for flexibility and strength. Body weight exercises for flexibility and strength. Get a pushcart and walk the course as often as possible. Always warm up before playing. 
 

Specific advice for the issues that OP has: find a Physical Therapist and work with them to develop a plan. 

[bluedot]

4 hours ago, MK7Golf21 said:

I agree working out is great for you and should be done. Don’t agree that compound lifts done heavy and with incorrect form is rare to cause injury. 
 

Regarding kettlebells, I recently read on a forum a post from a young girl who was doing kettlebell swings and herniated a couple discs in her neck doing the exercise. Had to get medical attention who found she herniated a couple discs. Many videos out there showing the form she used as “correct”, keep head looking straight ahead during the swing. Well that pinched the discs in her neck on the swing down. I felt bad for her. Not trying to cause fear or something, just awareness. 

You provided an anecdote about an injury, with no context about the specific exercise, any previous injury, conditioning of the athlete, warmup, etc.  You're offering that as "proof" that lifting, even with proper form, can directly cause injury.

 

So if I said that I've lifted 2 or 3 times a week for 50 years (which, btw, is true) for a total of somewhere between 6000 and 7000 workouts and have NEVER been injured from working out, would that prove that you absolutely CANNOT be injured working out?  Of course not, and I'd be silly to make that claim. 

 

You can get hurt doing ANYTHING, but I think any coach or trainer would agree with me that not only is lifting safe, but that it REDUCES the chances of injury.  People that are stronger are typically also more mobile and more flexible (especially if they have a balanced and carefully planned workout routine) and are much less likely to injure themselves playing golf, or tennis, or running, or whatever else we could think of.