Can obese people surf is a question that not many ask directly, but they sign up for surf lessons not thinking weight is a problem. One of the problems with gaining weight is it is too frequently simultaneous with not exercising. Exercise can burn some calories, but it is important for keeping the body moving fluidly.
Strength, flexibility, and stamina are important in learning to surf. The power to weight ratio used by the surf industry asks whether a person has the strength to lift their body off the surfboard to stand up. The surfing pop up requires not only strength and flexibility, but well moving joints such as the ankles, knees, hips, and spine.
One way to determine your size based on how the health care industry measures is to calculate your Body Mass Index which is a function of your height and weight. You can insert them in a ready made table and find out instantly whether your size is normal, overweight, obese, or extremely obese.
The Fundamentals of Popping Up on the Surfboard
One of the issues when obese people surf is getting their body off the surfboard in the water. On dry land the surfboard is supported by the ground and offers some support to standing up. Almost any technique will work on dryland or in your living room if you practice. In the water, the surfboard sinks where you put your weight.
If a person does not have the flexibility to first put their rear foot under their butt to stand on it, they put it on the rear of the surfboard. Then as they put their weight on it, the tail sinks and the nose rises straight up. At this point the board loses the wave and is sitting still in the water as the person tries to stand up on the tail of the surfboard.
I recently had a dad who weighed 260 pounds surf. He was very strong probably from weight lifting or maybe military service. He was able to push up and to stand up on his legs as he moved both feet at the same time onto the surfboard. This is an advanced pop up and requires strength, core muscles, and some agility.
Any person who begins doing the right exercises will have a better chance of learning to surf. The first important strength and flexibility exercises are deadlifts and squats. (Google or YouTube for proper form). They can be done without weights to begin. Pushups or bench presses are a natural for building upper body strength. Cables can also be utilized for building arms, back, shoulders, and chest.
Stamina is built with an aerobics program. People who have been sedentary can begin with walking 10 minutes a day five days a week and build to 30 minutes and then hopefully an hour. Biking, swimming, and treadmills are good for building cardiovascular fitness and recovery from exertion. Surfing requires paddling which is like intervals swimming.
As soon as the body has used up its glucose stores in the muscles, the body gets too tired to function. When people don’t exercise, their muscles stop storing glucose. So the first step is to build the muscles and get them to start absorbing nutrients to fuel exercise. When the muscles build receptors to accept glucose, the carbohydrates one consumes stop passing the muscles and going directly to fat. This is why building muscle helps burn fat.
Losing weight is a long term program but can be built each day. The commitment to eat better is a life changing one and creates serious benefits. If a person has underlying physical conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular or heart issues, they should proceed with a doctor’s supervision.
For more information on getting fit, see my new website Get Fit to Surf.com
Read Other Posts:
Beginner Surfers Learn on Soft Tops
5 Steps to Improve Surfing Performance
3 Ways to Catch Real Surfing Waves
Training to Ride the Surfing Short Board
Short Board Surfing Techniques
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The Surfers Life
Why do surfers surf? What is it about the culture that attracts and holds millions of people in the world? Why is the culture growing and how has it infiltrated our world with clothing, music, fitness, and stoke?
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Build Immunity in this Covid Era
The new Omicron variants can often sidestep the anti-bodies in vaccinations. This is when we need to have a strong immunity system. This is when people with underlying conditions like obesity or chronic metabolic disorders like diabetes become vulnerable.
Developing good health habits will help your immune system. The main components would be to attain a healthy weight. Eat healthy. Exercise, Get adequate sleep. Mitigate stress. Drink half your body weight in water oz (a 200-pound person drinks 100 oz.) Consider supplements for the nutrients you may not consume in your daily diet.
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