Rarely a first lesson happens when the student doesn’t find their physical conditioning is not up to surfing and need to Improve their Beginner Surfer Fitness. Surfing is a total body exercise and because someone jogs everyday, it doesn’t make them surfing fit.
Surfing requires flexibility, strength, and stamina. Few people lack the necessary balance although most would say before starting that is their biggest problem. If a surfer gets to the right stance on the surfboard, balance is not a problem.
What About Losing Weight
Weight is often a major issue because in gaining the weight there was no exercising. So, losing weight and gaining fitness are a great combination. Surfers like to be lean because it makes them more agile. Advanced surfers want to be lean so they don’t sink the small boards making paddling more strenuous.
By design, beginners start on high volume soft top boards that make it easy to paddle, catch waves, pop up and ride. A beginner should be able to do pushups. This gives them the strength to push their body off the board 20 or 30 times during a lesson. They also need upper body strength for paddling. People out of shape do not have the paddling power to catch waves.
Lower body strength is important for standing on the surfboard from the lying down position. The beginner push up requires the surfer to put a foot flat on the board and stand on it while lifting the hands and moving the other foot to the front of the surfboard. This popup can be practiced in the living room to build the surf specific muscles.
Gaining Flexibility
The best flexibility and lower body plus core exercises are squats and dead lifts. They can be performed without weights to start. They create the flexibility in the hamstrings, buttocks, and lower back necessary for pop ups. They also develop leg strength. Overweight people can surf if they have enough strength and flexibility.
Stamina is important because the paddling in surfing is tiring. There is effort exerted and then recovery needed. Stamina is developed by getting muscles to absorb and store glucose. This is developed by exercising them and increasing the intensity. Any movement is good whether walking, running, biking, swimming or treadmills. Intervals can be introduced to increase intensity. Intensity is increasing speed, duration and rests between intervals.
A healthy diet minus sugar and white flour is a good way to start losing weight. Adding a few exercises and building stamina will develop a body into better surf shape. Nothing helps surfing like surfing frequently, but not everyone can do that. Have fun.
For more articles and books, see the Home Page.
For Coaching to Fitness see the Program at The 3 Week Plan.com
For Coaching to Fitness see the Program at The 3 Week Plan.com
The Perfect Start to Lose Weight and Get Fit
You Have to Get Started to Reach Your Goals. Quick Start to Change your Lifestyle
See Surf Packages and PerfectBody.me meal plans.
Begin Your Surfing Career with the Trilogy
See it on the Home Page
Get my new book Get Fit to Surf
Its time to get back in shape. This book discusses strength, flexibility, stamina, and nutritional needs for getting in shape and losing weight. It is the great guide to get back to fitness for all your recreational desires. If you can surf, you can do most anything.
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Get the Learn to Surf Guide Course in Kindle, Paperback or Audio
A great 29 page course on the fundamentals of catching waves, doing beginner and advanced pop ups, riding real waves, how to do maneuvers on real waves, which surfboards to ride, and how to progress. Great for lesson preparation, after lesson review, or learning on your own.
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Everybody Can Surf
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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