Surfing Fitness Tips

To get the most out of your surfing experience it helps if you are also concerned with your fitness. Flexibility, core strength and stamina are all areas that can provide invaluable extra enjoyment while surfing and as such need attention. For flexibility there is yoga and some surf schools include this as an extra lesson. Core strength can be found using Pilates exercises or other methods that concentrate on the area between the neck and groin, particularly the abdomen and the back. Stamina and endurance can be achieved through swimming - alternating between sprints and long distance swims. Strength in the leg area is also beneficial to the surfer and all of these areas can see you with an injury if you don't follow some kind of exercise plan. Cycling is one way of gaining lower body strength if you don't want to use weight training. Of course following a healthy diet is a given as in any other area of your life and proper nutrition can make a big difference to how well you feel and how much energy you have. Without a decent level of fitness the likelihood of you sustaining an injury while surfing goes up considerably and no-one wants to throw their back out and be unable to surf for the next week or two if the weather is good and the surf is up.

Cross training is recommended by a number of the surf schools and there are various ways you can improve your fitness or stay fit for the next time you get to surf. You can use a piece of equipment called a swimming machine or Vasatrainer that mimics the motions of your arms and legs when you swim, paddle, or row. It works with your body's own weight as resistance. You may want to try skateboarding as an option to riding the waves on your surfboard. One of the drawbacks of surfing is that you are at the mercy of the weather and that isn't always where you want it to be, unlike basketball that can be played any time of day or night in any kind of weather. If you enjoy the gym then weight training is a great way to build strength and doing a high number of reps with medium level weights is the way to go.

Resistance bands and a Pilates dvd can help you build that core strength with the Pilates 100 being an excellent exercise. Yoga or other stretch programs are ideal for improving or maintaining your flexibility - a very important factor when that big wave appears and you need to tack from left to right to keep it going and you are bent over with your hamstrings or Achillestendon stretched to capacity. Not a good time to hear that little "snap" and be screaming in agony. So bear all of this in mind when you can't be out there in the sun and the surf, the least you can do is be prepared for the next opportunity!

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