Amy Boulden's fitness and diet secrets
As the new season approaches, many of us will be returning to the range with a fresh determination to make our game better than ever.
But performing well on the course is also about looking after your body. To give you some ideas on how how you can improve your own health and fitness, we asked Amy Boulden to talk us through her exercise routine, diet, and how she likes to unwind…
On hitting the gym…
“I probably go to the gym three times a week when I’m home and one of those sessions will be with a personal trainer. I go to the gym to help my golf but I actually also enjoy it as well. So that makes it a lot easier.
I try to do my cardio when I’m my own and see my PT for help with the strength side of things. I know that if he’s with me then I’m not going to get injured as he can give me pointers and that type of thing.
I enjoy running but not really long distance. I prefer to do short hill sprints so it’s over with quite quickly and it also burns more fat that way.
With my trainer I do a lot of explosive movements, Olympic lifts and things like that. You kind of have to be careful not to do too much in case you get injuries. But I learnt the technique quite well with a light weight first before I started building it up.”
On being outside…
“I prefer running outside to in the gym. I don’t really like to go on a treadmill. I like going on spinning bikes but I prefer running outside.
I live in quite a nice area of Wales that’s near the sea. So it’s actually quite enjoyable to go for a run around there.”
On staying fit on the go…
“I try to work out when I’m travelling with the tour, having a roommate who goes to the gym helps motivate me.
Especially because we hang around with Carly Booth quite a lot and she’s always in the gym and a good person to get you motivated.
There’s a good group of us who go together. Like if someone is like ‘oh no I can’t be bothered’ we’ll be like ‘come on lets all go’. But the weeks can be long, so you don’t want to get too tired. It’s more just loosening up and getting ready for the week and trying to stay flexible and doing lots of stretching.
For golfers I’d say it’s important to try and strengthen your core. You want to be strong but you also need to be flexible. I don’t want to look too masculine or get too big.
My dad suffered with a bad back for years. Then he started doing the plank every night, and he hasn’t had any problems at all. It just strengthens everything and only takes a couple of minutes to do.”
On keeping focused…
“I go to a boot camp every now and again that is ran by my friend. I enjoy it, it’s like 45 minutes of really good fitness and they push you so much harder than you would if you were working out on your own. It’s the same when I’m with my PT in the gym, they obviously push you to your limits.
I really want to get into yoga. I have an app on my phone that I try to use but I really want to start doing classes but it is quite hard to find one that’s on at the right time and when I’m home.”
On fitness in golf…
“Fitness has become a much bigger thing in golf over the last few years. I remember reading an interview with Mel Reid where she said that when she first came out on tour there would be nobody in the gym and now she goes and she can’t find a free machine because it’s so busy. That just shows how much the game has changed over the last few years.
You can see that in the likes of players like Rory, they have changed the image of a typical golfer.
Keeping fit is definitely important. As well as making you stronger and fitter it also helps you mentally. Also everybody wants to look good on the course as well, so its a big part of the game.
But it shouldn’t just be a golf thing, it should be part of everyone’s lifestyle.”
On food…
“I do enjoy food. I’m not a fussy eater or anything like that. I don’t really eat many carbs and when I do it’s sweet potatoes and things like that.
I enjoy cooking and so does my boyfriend, which is nice. I eat a lot of chicken and fish and for breakfast I normally have poached or boiled eggs and a bit of toast, or just fruit if I have an early tee time.
The only time I’m maybe not quite as healthy is on a Sunday night when we eat with my boyfriend’s mum who’s Italian. It’s not unhealthy but it’s often pasta and authentic Italian dishes. We go there every couple of weeks, so that’s our treat night.
It’s sometimes hard to eat well when we’re on tour. I really struggle in China and India because it’s just not my type of food. I normally end up eating rice for a week with some sort of sauce. So it’s not very tasty. So you have to adapt and I’ve learnt to take some of the things with me.”
On snacking…
“On the course I have Max Golf Protein bars. They’re really good because I don’t like eating too much during a round, but if I have one of those it will fill me up so much that’s all I need to keep me going.”
On supplements…
“A few years ago I did a supplements programme with a guy called Phil Richards. I just wanted to see how it would change my fitness and golf.
But I just realised that it was a bit too much too manage and that there were some things I had to prioritise more. I prefer to take protein shakes for the gym rather than having to take vitamins and things out on the course with me. But it’s good to experiment and it does make you feel a bit better when you know you are putting good things in your body. For me protein shakes are just to help me get the most out of my workout.”
On relaxing…
“I wouldn’t say going to the gym helps me unwind. I think of the gym as more part of my routine and part of work. But I quite enjoy cooking to relax when I get home or I like to watch box sets.
I enjoy going for massages. Even sport massages where they hurt a bit! When I’m away during a tournament I’ll try and see a physiotherapist a couple of times because we put our bodies through so much. Just to try and keep everything flexible. I don’t get the chance to treat myself to a spa day very often, but with a massage I can get away with saying that it’s for my golf!”
