Surfing Fitness Exercises

Agreeably, surfing is one of the most enjoyable water sports around. It is one of the only sports that requires a mixture of all aspects of surfing fitness; agility, endurance, balance, and strength. By training these specific areas you are setting yourself up to become a better surfer.

 

The power needed to obtain a standing position on the board, and the ability to propel your body through the water is considered as strength in surfing. There are an infinite number of strength building exercises, however, to achieve maximum satisfaction while surfing it is best to follow a surfing-specific routine. To build muscle strength, the most noted method is the lifting of weights in a series of repetitions or “reps”. A beneficial surfing exercise to follow is known as the “Shoulder Roll”. While keeping the back straight, the shoulder roll is executed by holding a light free weight (5-10 pounds) in each hand and slowly rolling your shoulders in a circular motion. Always follow proper back care!  With the body’s strength being increased, one’s ability to take on larger and more powerful waves increase.

 

Endurance in surfing fitness is simply the ability to withstand muscle strain for a period of time. In surfing 90-95% of your time spent is in the process of paddling. Many surfers would agree that paddling is probably the most strenuous part of any surfing experience. To build paddling endurance, you would come across one method known as “suicides”. By paddling in pre-set time increments and by increasing that time every repetition, suicides can be performed. For example, the first repetition would be 10 seconds of non-stop paddling; the second would be 20 seconds of non-stop paddling; and the third would be 40 seconds. So on and so forth. This method will drastically improve your ability to sustain hours on the water.

 

Cutbacks and sprays are impressive maneuvers to pull off that requires a high agility level. One noted method to increase agility is to do “figure runs”, or simply run in the pattern of a specific figure or shape. Cross-training with “street surfers” or long boards is a beneficial way to see an improvement in your agility. These boards are similar to skateboards, and generally range from three to five feet. Long boards, like skateboards, have four wheels and 2 “trucks”. By using a long board you will notice that your actual surfing will be more fluid, yet aggressive. The “street surfer” is a perfect way to practice your surfing techniques on a flat or mushy day.

 

In our world of surfing, balance is crucial. Balance is what differentiates between a killer aerial, or simply falling off the nose of the board. Then again, not everyone is born with balance; it is one of those things that are gained with practice and time. However, the learning process can be sped up with the use of a few different tools. The main method to improve balance that we will discuss is a stability ball. A stability ball is simply a large rubber-like ball filled with air that can be used for a variety of exercises; ranging from core workouts to balance training. Stability balls increase targeted muscle strength which in turn provides increased balance. 

 

By training these aspects of surfing fitness through physical workouts, you are essentially increasing your potential to be a better surfer. The key is to keep striving towards your goal, and to never give up.

 

San Francisco Skateboarding 96ish pt. 2