Surfing is one of the most challenging sports you will ever try. It is one of the few that forces you to use almost every part of your body at once. And there is no rest. Once you’re in the water, you’re in. You’ll have to swim and paddle, catch a wave, then balance on a wet board sailing at several knots per hour above the water’s surface, and twist and turn as you do so. And when you fall, you have to get back on that board in the middle of the waves.
Preparing for surfing and staying in good shape takes effort. It may seem like the best way to achieve this is to surf more often, but that’s not practical for many of us. The good news is that there are many common exercises you can do at home to help you stay in shape, prevent injury, and be ready to ride the waves when the opportunity arises.
A full body workout
Surfing provides a full body workout. That means any workout you do should focus on the whole body, not just rowing or balance, for example. One thing that makes surfing unique is the way the body works as a unit. All the parts are interlocked and must work together effectively to surf. You will need to balance and rotate your torso or legs. You will have to swim and get on the board. This makes your training requirements a bit different than just hitting the machines. The best surf workouts will incorporate movement between body parts and make them work together.
There are four focus areas for any surf workout routine: Arms and Shoulders, Balance and Legs, Core, and Endurance. Let’s look at some exercises you can do at home that will improve each of these areas.
Arm and Shoulder Exercises for Surfing
The arms are used much more than the legs in this sport. You will need to swim to your spot first, and then row until you can catch a wave. Once you fall off the board or ride the wave until it breaks you go back into the water trying to avoid being pushed down, stay out of the waves and get out of the way of other surfers. Strong arms and shoulders are a must. Give them a try to pack up some rowing power.
Dumbbell push-ups.
Swings with Russian weights.
Rows with dumbbells.
Dumbbell shoulder rotations.
Balance and leg exercises
Your legs need to be strong and stable. Even so, they will wobble after they’ve been in the waves for a bit. Make them stronger and achieve better balance by incorporating these activities into your routine. Add a medicine ball or do the stationary exercises on a BOSU for an added challenge.
One leg balance exercises.
squats
Overhead Press Stride.
basic exercises
Your core is essential to being able to surf with speed and power. It must be strong, but flexible. Try exercises that build core strength and help you turn freely. Remember, the core is more than just your abs. A strong back and side muscles are just as important for balance as the abdominal muscles.
Plank.
Back extensions.
Stability ball toss.
Bird dogs.
resistance exercises
Surfing requires the resistance of the whole body. You never know when an especially strong wave is going to hit you or what kind of currents you might face. Interval training is the way to go to build this type of endurance. When you think about it, surfing is very much interval training. You’ll find yourself paddling casually one moment and the next, you’re giving it your all, trying to catch a wave.
Jog-Sprint intervals.
Jump rope intervals.
Swim.
When you can’t hit the waves, these exercises are a great substitute to keep your body ready to surf. By adding these to his workouts, he will become a better surfer and experience fewer injuries, which adds up to a better surfing experience.