Imagine a muscle that thrives on kindness.
A muscle that is excited to work for you but actually doesn’t need more stress but needs to be freed up from tension.
If not, it will work against you.
That muscle is the PSOAS.
Maintaining a healthy psoas is super vital if you want to perform in life and in golf.
Here are a few facts about the psoas:
- It is the only muscle that connects the upper and lower extremities
- Psoas is part of the iliopsoas muscle group and is mostly referred to as the psoas major
- It’s part of the deeper core, as it attaches to the transverse process of the lumbar spinal column and travels anteriorly past the pelvis
- Stretching the psoas can stimulate the involuntary response of “fight or flight” response
- It is more important as a stabiliser and postural muscle then a prime mover
- It’s connected to both the somatic & autonomic nervous system
Imagine being a little kinder to the psoas. In strength training we need to stress a muscle in order to make it stronger. But since the psoas is probably already overly exhausted (lifestyle, emotional well being, traumas, movement patterns all can have a negative impact on the super sensitive psoas) it needs to be freed up and relaxed more often. Strong functional glute & core muscles and healthy fascia also help prevent the overuse of the psoas.
Here’s one golfyoga pose to nurture your psoas. Don’t be fooled though, a lot of other muscle activation is present during the pose to support & provide the psoas the best opportunity to stretch.
Looking to dive into the body mind game connection? Just send me a message. I’m here for you. Info@lpgolfperformance.nl
Liesbeth Pauwels
B. Kinesiology, University of British Columbia
Titleist Performance Institute certified
SuperSpeed Level 3 certified
Registered Yoga Teacher