For those of you who prefer to play disc golf simply for the joy of a sport that doesn't require a ton of physical exertion, the idea of adding a training regimen to your practice may seem rather unnecessary. Frankly, if you're happy with the state of your play, you might be better off skipping the gym and the extra disc golf equipment and simply spending more time on the field.

Do Disc Golf Players Really Need to Exercise?

Our guess, though, is that if you're taking the time to read about disc golf online, you're probably also interested in learning how to take your game to the next level. For some of you, the next level may involve competitive play. For others, it may mean surprising your disc golf friends with a technique that has clearly grown and improved.

But here's the deal: If you found yourself nodding in agreement at those last two sentences, you need to understand that with the exception of more practice, there's really only one way to make serious gameplay leaps a reality: You need to exercise.

More specifically, you need to focus on exercise of a certain sort—the sort that will strengthen those crucial muscles that are used most often in a typical game of disc golf.

With all that in mind, we've put together this brief list of three disc golf exercises that will best strengthen the parts of the body used most often when playing disc golf at top levels. 

Jumping Rope

The jump rope isn't a tool that most of us consider to be a crucial piece of disc golf equipment, and yet perhaps we should. Regardless of its reputation as a schoolyard toy and a gym class staple, the jump rope is used regularly by athletes who train the very body parts that are used in disc golf.

In our sport, huge bursts of power need to be generated first in the feet and core, and then into the throwing arm. Jumping rope helps with both of those. And as explained by a blog post about the importance of jumping rope on the Mind Body Disc website, technique and timing, both of which are hugely important in disc golf, are also strengthened by practicing with the rope.

This is why boxers, who also rely heavily on timing, technique, steady feet, and strong arms, have practiced with the jumping rope for decades. It's also why MMA fighters, who require many of the same skills as boxers, have made jumping rope a standard part of their exercise routines. 

Thankfully, jump rope is a piece of disc golf equipment that is very affordable. You shouldn't need to pay more than $10 or $15, tops, for a decent rope. And while lighter ropes that allow for showy tricks are available at a higher price point, the same standard rope you used when you were a kid is all that most of us will ever need. We highly suggest adding a rope to your disc golf equipment collection today.

Bodyweight Training

What is bodyweight training? To put it simply, bodyweight workouts involve those tried-and-true exercises that don't require free weights or equipment. Instead, good ol' gravity (and bodyweight, of course) provides all the resistance necessary for the exercise. If you've ever done push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups or crunches, you've participated in bodyweight training.

So why are these sorts of exercises, which require no expensive disc golf equipment, so crucial to disc golfers who want to improve their game? For starters, if done properly, they can greatly improve both your balance and flexibility, and we all know how important balance and flexibility are to seriously upping your game.

Practicing burpees and squat repetitions, for instance, will massively improve your natural balance. What's more, these are exercises you can practice in an almost endless variety of ways without the help of any expensive equipment whatsoever.    

Bodyweight training is one of the best natural ways to train your body to move in all the various positions it's meant to. It's a safe activity, and assuming you stick with it, you will absolutely see improvements in both your disc control and body control while playing. 

Kettlebell Workouts

This is perhaps a slightly trickier recommendation than our previous two, if only because we strongly suggest consulting a fitness professional before beginning any sort of regular kettlebell workout routine. Assuming you've already consulted with a trainer, we've tend to believe that double- and single-leg squats performed with kettle bells can be some of the best workouts for serious disc golf players.

That's because kettlebell workouts require the use of nearly every major muscle group, but they won't add massive amounts of bulk onto your frame in a short amount of time. Extra and unnecessary bulk, don't forget, is something disc golfers definitely don't want, because it can get in the way of your game. We're not working towards a bodybuilding-style body, in other words, but rather a well-toned body with muscles that all perform to the best of their respective ability.

Kettlebell workouts can help you achieve that. Perhaps more importantly, you'll develop an especially strong core if you stick with the kettle balls long enough, and fitness-wise, there's almost nothing more important for high-performing disc golfers than a solid and strong core.

And finally: When you next find yourself taking a break from all those squats and push-ups and rope jumps, take a look at all the awesome gear for sale on the Disc Golf Market website.

We have new arrivals coming in all the time, and even the occasional  disc golf equipment sale.