Beginner surfers get a taste of the physical demands of surfing and can engage in Exercises to Improve Surfing. Surfing demands upper body, lower body, and core strength. It needs flexibility. It requires stamina. It likes a lean body. Working on all at the same time can bring big improvements.
Surfing requires agility which improves with strength, flexibility, and weight loss for most. My book The 3 Week Plan, and Get Fit to Surf, plus others detail how to do all at once. The best beginning surf exercise is push ups. They build upper body and core strength. I do 35 every day. The second major exercise is squats. They build leg strength but more importantly, they loosen the hamstrings, buttocks, and lower back. I do 60 every day.
Exercises Help with the Advanced Pop Up
Just doing those exercises keeps me loose enough for the advanced pop up in which you move both feet to the board at the same time. The front foot has to get in front of the body and that is where flexibility becomes an issue. It is easier to pop up and have the feet under the body, but that will lead to falls and make it difficult to control the surfboard.
Practicing the advanced or beginner pop up in the living room is the best exercise for pop ups. For the advanced pop up, place a line and place the feet on the line or on a marker. Lay down with hands next to the rib cage in a man’s push up position. Place a marker or book next to the hands. Then place a quarter in between the hands under the chest. Now, practice the double footed pop up by landing the front foot on the quarter.
Practicing the Double Footed Pop Up
The double footed pop up has a count I give students. First, paddle to catch the wave. Then place the hands on the board next to the rib cage. Then push and pop. Some like to push and pop at the same time and others like to push up and then pop making it two moves. In popping, the front foot travels under the chest and lands on the quarter. When the feet hit the board, the hands have to be up in the air and in front of the body. Holding on while popping the feet will result in the front foot being stuck behind the hands and riding on the back of the board.
The beginner pop up is a little slower than the advanced pop up and doesn’t require the same agility. The surfer paddles to catch the wave and then places his hands on the surf board. He pushes and places one foot flat on the board under his butt about three feet from the tail. He stands on that foot, being suspended for a second, while he lifts his hands and moves the other foot to the front of the board or to the quarter.
Doing everything will improve surf sessions. Do the exercises daily and add some other stretches that you like. Professional surfers can do all the yoga moves and bend their bodies like pretzels. This makes them more agile and helps prevent injuries from twists and falls.
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
For Surf Lessons in Oceanside, see the Home Page
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