THE CORE
6 star planks
▶ “One of the tougher exercises in this circuit, this one strengthens core muscles, especially the obliques, and it helps stabilise the hip joint,” Ellis says. Lie on your side with your legs bent at roughly 45 degrees and the knees stacked. Sit up so your torso is elevated and supported by one arm ( below, right ). From this start position, engage your core muscles and rise off the floor with your pelvis while pushing your bottom knee into the ground. Let the other knee move as far away as possible from the support leg (above, right). When you reach the top of this exercise, pause for a second or two before slowly lowering back into the start position. Do 30 seconds of reps on one side, and then reverse leg and arm positions and do another 30.
▶ Lying on the ground in a face-up position with your arms raised and your toes pointing away from you (above), rise up with your torso and knees simultane- ously and reach towards the sky (left). As you rise, keep your head from tucking and try to touch your heels to the ground in the bent-leg position. “You can’t play golf with- out strong core muscles, and this exercise hits your mid- section really well,” Ellis says. “I also like this exercise because it doesn’t stress the spine the way traditional sit-ups can. The last thing any golfer needs is additional compression or stress on his or her back.” 7 hollow sit-ups
86 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
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