Many of my surf students ask How to Get Fit for Surfing. During the pandemic era, we have all been closed out of various forms of exercise. When gyms closed, many lost their three times a week opportunity to burn calories and fat. Surfing utilizes muscles specific to the sport and yet surfing is a full body workout.
Many athletes who participate in running and triathlons say after their first surf session that they need to get in better shape. Imagine how those who don’t exercise regularly feel. Beginners take one to two hour lessons and feel a lot of new muscles activated. If they could surf several times a week, they would find the dream exercise for fun, weight control, building muscle, and losing fat.
The Basics of Getting Fit for Surfing
Surfing requires upper body strength, lower body strength, flexibility, and cardio power. Paddling is like interval training. A surfer paddles out for waves and then paddles hard to catch waves. Then he paddles out again. Paddling is like swimming, but not the same.
Upper body strength can benefit from weight or cable training. Bench presses, military presses, and cable pulls can strengthen the arms, shoulders, back, and core, Push ups are great for the necessary pop up to stand up on the surfboard.
Flexibility is of major importance. Professional surfers can bend like pretzels. Some of the simplest most effective exercises for flexibility are burpies, squats, deadlifts, and just putting your palms on the floor without bending your knees.
Aerobics are a key to cardiovascular fitness. Building better circulation by increasing the stress on breathing can be accomplished in every way imaginable. Intervals are on everyone’s pedestal. Staying in peak cardio condition requires consistent engagement. A surfer notices they are out of shape after two weeks of not paddling. Top runners start losing conditioning after 36 hours.
Nutrition is crucial. Muscles have to be fed to grow. They need a well balanced diet. Athletes learn how to feed the body before and after exercise. When muscles need nutrition, they will first look to the glucose in the muscles and in the blood stream. When glucose gets depleted they will look for fat. Athletes train their body to burn fat with long slow aerobic workouts. Weight lifters train their body to burn fat with intense workouts.
Have patience and begin a program that can be followed without burn out. Set a long term goal with lots of interim markers. You can never get too fit.
Learn More
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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To read a great book for getting in shape to surf or getting in better surfing shape, read my new book Everybody Can Surf, a Health, Fitness, Nutrition, and Surfing Adventure
Description:
Get healthy and fit to surf or set a goal of surfing to improve weight, fitness, nutrition, and health. This guide by a surf instructor/health coach/personal trainer gives the short version of how to lose weight, get strong, build stamina, develop nutrition, and learn to surf. Surfing is a lifestyle enjoyed by millions and so is fitness. Fitness creates opportunities to enjoy life through lots of different kinds of recreation. No need to stand on the sidelines while others are having a great time. Start your program to health with easy steps and progress at your own pace. That is the secret to maintaining a lifestyle. Do it at your pace. This book will start you on the path.
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Seniors Get Fit to Surf
Description:
Seniors often ask if it is too late to learn to surf. Age is functional not chronological. If people have been exercising and maintaining body strength, surfing can be accomplished. If people have not been exercising, then getting in shape to surf could be a life changing move. Learn how to develop strength, flexibility, and stamina to learn surfing. If you are in surf shape, you could pursue most any recreation.
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Happ
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.
One of my favorites is the Rishi mushroom. It has been chronicled in Chinese medicine for thousands of years. It supports the major systems. It fights viruses, bacteria, allergies, and inflammation. I get a compilation of 5 reishi mushrooms extracted and combined into one powder. You can get a discount as my client with this link.
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- Reishi: Reishi is arguably the most important and most revered herb used by Asian people throughout history to promote radiant health, longevity and a more centered state of mind. It is known to be among the most protective herbs in the world. Reishi may help improve immunological, neurological, metabolic, hepatic and vascular protection, among other functions.
