Course Correction: The Link Between Wellness and a Better Golf Game

Golf has a way of serving up life’s full emotional spectrum. One moment, I am immersed in the beauty of a breathtaking course, overjoyed after a chip-in; the next, I am ready to launch my 7-iron into the nearest water hazard and swear off the sport entirely (or at least until tomorrow). Unlike other sports, where athleticism and grit often carry the day, golf refuses to be bullied. I am starting to recognize it as less a contest of force and more a finely tuned symphony.    

While we can’t control the speed of the greens or the demoralizing rough, there are certain elements we can actually influence on a daily basis: pre-game deep breathing, performance visualization, and post-game recovery. These three factors have a direct impact on physical and mental output, getting us closer to scratch-golfer level by the minute. 

Pre-Game Deep Breathing 

Nora Tobin Golf
Nora working on her golf swing.

A physical warm-up has been a long-standing requirement when it comes to optimal performance in any sport. That said, a mental warm-up is equally as important. A short routine—breath work, visualization, and positive self-talk—helps quiet the noise and usher us into a flow state.   

According to the National Wellness and Fitness Association, breath work—particularly controlled breathing—can reduce anxiety and enhance mental focus by calming the nervous system. Box breathing, a yogic deep-breathing method, is particularly useful in maintaining composure during high-pressure sports scenarios. The technique signals the parasympathetic nervous system to naturally calm itself by lowering heart rate and reducing cortisol production. Here’s how to practice box breathing:  

1. Set a timer for five minutes. Find a comfortable standing or seated position. Relax your shoulders and keep your spine neutral.  

2. Take a few regular breaths. You may want to close your eyes.  

3. Inhale slowly through your nose for four counts.   

4. When you get to four, hold your breath for another count of four.   

5. Exhale through your mouth for four counts.  

6. Hold your breath again for four counts.   

7. Start this cycle again until the timer goes off.   

Performance Visualization 

Four Seasons Costa Rica Golf
The Ocean Course at Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica.

Research shows that athletes who use imagery and self-talk experience improvements in concentration and execution under pressure. The PETTLEP motor imagery model is designed to closely mimic on-course performance by integrating physical, environment, task, timing, learning, emotion, and perspective cues. In one study, golfers who used PETTLEP-based visualization to rehearse bunker shots improved by eight percent, compared to baseline levels. Those who combined PETTLEP imagery with physical practice saw an even more dramatic boost—22 percent improvement.    

Use this sequence while standing behind the ball on the first tee: 

1. Physical: Take your actual grip pressure (light-to-moderate), feel your feet grounded, waggle once.  

2. Environment: Close your eyes and feel the conditions (wind, ambient sound, sun).   

3. Task: Keeping your eyes closed, visualize the shot. See the exact trajectory and distance of the ball.  

4. Timing: Open your eyes; rehearse the full swing with a comfortable tempo.   

5. Learning: Recall one recent cue that worked (e.g., “soft shoulders” or “left-hip post”). Keep it to one.  

6. Emotion: Name and embody the feeling you want to carry throughout the game (e.g., relaxed power). Take a deep breath and repeat the statement to yourself.   

7. Perspective: See and feel the swing from your own eyes (first person). Optional: a quick third-person “snapshot” of a balanced finish.  

Post-Game Recovery  

Four Seasons Scottsdale Golf
The Monument Course near Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North.

The repeated explosive swings and mental concentration required of golf can take a toll. A three-step recovery routine helps restore energy, reduce soreness, and get us ready for the next round.   

1. Active Cooldown: Active recovery clears metabolic by-products faster than complete rest, while mobility restores range lost during repetitive swings. Try an easy three- to four-minute walk (clubhouse to car or around the practice green), followed by a set of mobility reset stretches (like those in this restorative yoga sequence).  

2. Rehydrate and Refuel (within 60 to 90 minutes): This helps replenish muscles to rebuild after activity, while hydrating cells to bring the body back into balance. Drink at least 16 to 20 ounces of water with electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium) and consume 20 to 40 grams of protein (e.g., grilled salmon, Greek yogurt, or a protein shake) and 1 to 1.2 g/kg of body weight of carbohydrates to replenish glycogen if playing consecutive days. Bonus points for anti-inflammatory foods like tart cherry juice, pineapple (bromelain), or matcha lemonade.  

3. Contrast or Cold Therapy: Use this recovery method to speed circulation to the muscles and lower inflammation. Two ways to try it: five to 10 minutes in a cold plunge or cold shower (50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit or 10 to 15 degrees Celsius); or alternate one-minute hot and cold showers for three to four cycles.  

Mastering golf is a never-ending pursuit, but that’s part of the charm. While these tools might not prevent a slice or getting stuck in the sand, my hope is that this module helps support an athletic foundation and propel performance on the course. Go get ’em!   

Nora Tobin is a leading authority in high-performance wellness, delivering customized programs to executive teams, professional athletes, and celebrity clientele. She is the CEO of Nora’s Naturals and a certified integrative health coach. As a Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts visiting practitioner, she offers customized retreats and leadership off-sites.   

Well Worth It: How to De-stress from the Inside Out

Growing up in South Lake Tahoe, I had my own version of wellness: an adventurous day on the mountain followed by a hearty family dinner. While lasagna and a loaf of bread (extra butter!) might not have been the healthiest meal by today’s standards, it certainly delivered what I believe to be the most important aspect of wellbeing—joy.  

There are many paths to healthy living, with powerful vitality often coming from personal enjoyment rather than a restrictive regimen. Consider this new column an invitation to welcome more joy into your life through impactful ways to restore, perform, nourish, and glow. Each month, I’ll share results-driven strategies to enhance your wellbeing. In this installment, I focus on the art of rejuvenation. The methods will support personal nourishment, restore the nervous system, and allow for a greater sense of presence.  

Zen in 10  

Nora Tobin
Tobin is a certified integrated health coach.

There’s a moment, often on the edge of burnout, when the body needs restoration. Thankfully, recovery doesn’t require hours in a spa or a plane ticket to paradise (though both are welcome). You can seamlessly weave rejuvenation into the rhythm of daily life, especially when you understand the underlying chemistry.  

Cortisol is a hormone that helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle, influences metabolic efficiency, and lowers inflammation. When the body is under chronic stress, though, high levels of cortisol are released into the bloodstream, resulting in a disruption of the hormone triangle of cortisol, thyroid, and estrogen/testosterone. The thyroid, which governs weight management and energy, becomes depleted; estrogen and testosterone, responsible for sex drive, diminish in efficiency; and, according to The Journal of Physiology, too-high levels of cortisol circulating throughout the body causes rapid weight gain in the abdominal area, poor sleep patterns, and decreased feelings of happiness.  

The good news is that you can rebalance your cortisol levels. Here are three proven strategies to reduce cortisol and revive energy from the inside out. Each of these techniques takes 10 minutes or less and can be implemented anywhere. 

4-5-6 Breathing: A Built-In Reset Button 

Nora Tobin at Four Seasons Bahamas, Photo by Robyn Damianos
Tobin at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas, where she has hosted three-day Rejuvenation Getaways. Photograph by Robyn Damianos.

The breath is a powerful tool that can modulate the autonomic nervous system, effectively guiding the body out of a heightened stress response, known as fight-or-flight, and into a state of physiological calm.  

Consciously slowing down and deepening the breath stimulates the vagus nerve, the superhighway between the brain and the body that helps regulate the heart rate and the release of “feel-good hormones” such as serotonin. During periods of stress, the sympathetic nervous system triggers the fight-or-flight response, elevating heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormone levels. The vagus nerve counters this response by activating the parasympathetic rest-and-digest state, helping slow the heart rate, reduce inflammation, and restore a sense of calm. This vagal activation is essential for emotional regulation and long-term stress resilience. 

Regulating the vagus nerve, and thereby reducing the negative effects of stress, can be achieved through several evidence-based practices, including gentle yoga, cold therapy, nature walks without technology, and breath work, the easiest of the strategies. 

Here’s how to practice the 4-5-6 breathing technique:  

  • Inhale deeply through the nose for a count of four. 
  • Hold the breath for a count of five. 
  • Exhale slowly through the mouth for a count of six. 
  • Repeat this technique for five rounds. 

Practice this breath work each day, not just in moments of stress. The consistent effort signals to the body it is safe and starts to create a daily sense of calm. (Here is a four-minute guided stress-relief session that can be enjoyed anywhere your summer takes you: Guided Breath Work to Calm the Mind.) 

Magnesium: The Mineral of Calm  

Four Seasons Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, Epsom Salt Bath
At Grand Hôtel du Cap Ferrat, a Four Seasons Hotel, guests can enjoy a floating Epsom salt bath at the spa.

Magnesium is essential for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including muscle relaxation and nervous system regulation. It acts as a natural buffer to cortisol by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which governs how we perceive and physiologically respond to stress.  

When magnesium levels are adequate, the body is better able to prevent excessive cortisol release and serve as a mood regulator. A study published in the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine found that magnesium may play a crucial role in regulating neurotransmitters, particularly by modulating NMDA receptors and enhancing GABAergic activity. These mechanisms contribute to its calming effects on the nervous system.  

In periods of high stress, magnesium is rapidly depleted, creating a feedback loop that intensifies anxiety and irritability. By replenishing magnesium, especially in highly bioavailable forms such as magnesium glycinate, the body is better equipped to manage mental and environmental stressors.  

How to increase magnesium in your daily routine:  

  • Integrate topical magnesium: Epsom salt baths and magnesium oil can produce an immediate sense of ease. For work trips, I like to pack Epsom salts, so that I can effectively unwind with a bath at the end of the day.   
  • Prioritize magnesium-rich foods: Enjoy avocados, almonds, pumpkin seeds, leafy greens, and dark chocolate to naturally support nervous system function and reduce daily stress. My purse typically contains a bar of dark chocolate!  

A 10-Minute Walk: The Gentle Shift in State

Four Seasons Puta Mita Monkey Hill HIke
On the Monkey Hill Hike at Four Seasons Resort Puta Mita, Mexico.

Studies from Stanford University have found that walking without technology has a positive effect on cortisol levels—and just 10 minutes has a profound effect. The walk provides a mental break, while stimulating the release of key neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. The rhythmic movement of walking also engages bilateral stimulation. This has been linked to reductions in anxiety and the stimulation of neural connections for creative thought.  

And, according to Harvard Medical School, walking—especially when done consistently—can be as effective as antidepressant medication for some individuals with mild to moderate depression. The mental-health benefits stem not only from the neurochemical shifts but also from the behavioral activation that walking encourages. Getting outside, engaging in movement, and experiencing a sense of progress can all break the cycle of inertia that often accompanies low mood and chronic stress. When paired with exposure to natural light or green space, the effects are even more pronounced, encouraging both mental resilience and hormonal balance. 

Nora Tobin is a leading authority in high-performance wellness, delivering customized programs to executive teams, professional athletes, and celebrity clientele. She is the CEO of Nora’s Naturals and a Certified Integrative Health Coach. As a Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts visiting practitioner, she offers customized retreats and leadership off-sites.