Golf is a passion for retired banker Joe Sveda, who does stretching exercises on a regular basis to keep limber.

HIS REGIMEN: Joe Sveda has been golfing almost as long as he can remember. "I used to caddy as a kid," says Sveda, who last year served as chair of the Lloyd Kirkpatrick Memorial Golf Tournament in support of Hamilton's Ronald McDonald House.

As an adult, he golfed occasionally. Then 10 years ago, he found himself divorced, with grown children and more time on his hands. The sport became a full-blown passion when he retired from a career in banking last April 30.

"I played more golf [since he retired] than I think I've ever played," says the 62-year-old. Sveda plays 18 holes three to four times a week. The sport gets him outdoors and keeps him active.

Golf requires flexibility, co-ordination, muscular strength and muscular endurance. Muscles used include forearms, wrist flexors, wrist extensors, rotator cuff muscles, triceps, back muscles, calves, quadriceps and obliques. Those who walk the course get the added benefit of improving their cardiovascular fitness.

To stay limber, Sveda does stretching exercises during games. "It's mostly to loosen the shoulders and try to get rid of the aches and pains."

Stretching also helps with mild but chronic back pain. Though Sveda uses a cart when he golfs, he enjoys walking for exercise when he's off the greens. He goes for walks two to three times a week, for 15 to 30 minutes when the weather is hot and for 45 minutes to one hour on cooler days.

HIS PROUDEST MOMENT: Sveda's still waiting for it to arrive. "In all the years I've played golf - 50 years - I've never had a hole-in-one. I've been close a few times, but I've never had one."

SQUEEZE THOSE ABS: The recumbent abdominal and shoulder blade squeeze is designed to help improve your golf posture. It focuses on the lower abdominals and shoulder blade muscles.

1. Lie on a firm, flat surface with your hips and knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Rest your lower legs on a chair, couch or bed. Bend your elbows to about 90 degrees and position your arms approximately 60 to 80 degrees away from the sides of your body so that you begin to feel a comfortable stretch in front of your chest and shoulders.

2. Contract the muscles of your lower abdominals and middle and lower shoulder blade regions so that you can feel the entire length of your spine, neck and shoulders flattening firmly to the floor. If you are performing this exercise properly, you should feel a comfortable degree of muscle contraction while you maintain a normal, relaxed breathing pattern.

3. Hold this contraction for three to five breaths, relax and then repeat the exercise. Perform this exercise at least once every other day for two to three weeks, starting with one set of 10 repetitions and building up gradually to one set of 50 repetitions as needed.

- Golf For Dummies (John Wiley & Sons, $25.99)

From the Hamilton Spectator