Is Fitness Worth the Sacrifice?
ByRegular surfers get plenty of exercise and when they go in twice a day they are happily exhausted. Do many do extra fitness work so that they can surf longer on ideal days? Not usually unless they are competitors. 
Surfing is hard work. The paddling especially on sand bar beaches where you have to go through the waves to get a ride and have to paddle out again each time if you take the wave in creates a great demand on strength, stamina, muscles and joints.
Many paddle boarders, knee boarders, and even boogie boarders are surfers whose bodies, muscles or joints broke down and have to settle for fun, but not the same experiences in the water.
I have the luxury of living at the beach and being able to surf everyday. I therefore know the tremendous vulnerability of my body to injury from being thrashed and strain from exertion. At first I could not surf everyday because of the toll on my energy and stamina.
I have learned through improved nutrition, yoga stretches for surfing, upper body work, aerobic running or stair climbing, and lots of paddling to get my body into surf shape. The advantage is that I can surf everyday and stay out longer on great days. I can also go out on rough days and go through the effort necessary to get a few good rides.
I do yoga stretches each morning and evening that only take a few minutes but open up my chest, hips, back, arms and shoulders. I do 50 push ups a day. A few times a week I run the 40 stairs near my house or run the frontage street at Oceanside. I have learned that when I over do the aerobics, I hurt my surfing stamina because my body can only take so much.
So I have to learn the right balance to increase my training and not impede my surfing. Is it worth it? Absolutely. My goal is to increase my surfing capabilities and ensure I can enjoy the sport for as long as possible. If you think you feel fine, you probably are, but you might also be wearing those important body parts that later will reflect the wear and tear of neglect.
Surfing demands certain muscles and it is important to support the countering muscles or the muscles we need become over stressed. Our backs, necks, arms, and chests tighten up from normal surf activity. It is important to stretch and loosen in the opposite direction from the normal use to give them proper support and longevity.
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Read “The Healthiest 150 Foods on Earth” by Jonny Bowden
Read Sue Casey’s exciting book about surfers who tackle the biggest ones and scientists who are trying to figure out where they come from in “The Wave, In Pursuit of the Rogue, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean” by Susan Casey An exciting tale of historic wave destruction and the surfers who ride these mammoths.
Lola 5 Day Swell, Wind Forecast for San Diego Beaches
Read “The Surfing Manual:Advanced” by Jim Kempton
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