Posted by Rick Civelli | 02.21.2012 | WB Surf Camp News

Improve Your Shape for Surfing

So many forms of exercise compliment surfing, and the winter is the perfect time to delve into these other activities to keep your paddling muscles strong and your core tight. Elevate your surfing skills with some of these exercises that will keep you toned and in “surfing shape.” Newcomers to the sport of surfing often believe that in order to be in “surfing shape,” one must be extremely strong, have huge muscles, and lift weights to beat the ocean and battle the waves. Fortunately for most of us, this is quite simply not the case. In fact, one of the most important lessons you can take from the ocean is how to go with the flow and work with the waves and the powerful currents that exist. Balance, flexibility, and stamina are three of the most important elements of surfing. The products of these three elements are core strength, adaptability, and quick reaction times.

Those who are brand new to surfing and others who only surf every so often but achieve a high success rate share several traits; they are strong swimmers, regularly participate in yoga, pilates, marathons, triathlons, or have board sports backgrounds. They already have a few of the key components of being in “surfing shape.”.They all demand intentional deep breathing, stamina, balance, and work every component of our core muscle system.

Surfing can be taught by a professional instructor with an extremely high rate of success. But to get the most out of your experience and properly prepare for the next swell or surf vacation, there are several things you can do to fully enjoy the experience as much as is physically possible. Callisthenic exercises such as push-ups, crunches, lunges, and yoga don’t require any type of equipment. They are easy to perform at home, increase balance, and tone your core muscles (knees to shoulders).  The other is participating in aerobic cardiovascular exercise such as running, swimming, and biking. It elevates your heart rate for an extended amount of time, strengthening your heart, lungs, and muscles. This reduces blood pressure, decreases stress, increases red-blood cells, improves circulation, and results in overall better stamina. Swimming especially tones the muscles associated with paddling a surfboard, which can be the most challenging and tiring part of surfing.

Getting in “Surfing Shape” is easily attainable by anyone, right at home. It will enhance your experience and make surfing that much better for you the first time you experience it.