Before beginning a new regimen of fitness, many new surfers might ask why does being fit help surfing. Most people learn to surf without any prior surf conditioning and maybe without a regular routine of full body exercise.
New students learn that surfing is very technical and very physically demanding. Many kids and women as well as adults find they don’t have the strength to fulfill the demands. Surfing requires lifting your weight off the surfboard. It requires pulling your weight with your arms on the surfboard to get in front of waves. It requires lifting your body on one leg or two legs to stand up. All this is more difficult in the water than on dryland.
The Fitness that Helps Surfing
II recently had a 15 year old girl who played soccer. She was fit, but had no upper body strength and could not paddle hard enough to get her lean body in front of waves. She was really not capable of surfing on her own without me pushing her.
Many adults and kids do not have the flexibility to get their feet under their body to do a pop up. In the beginner pop, I teach students to put a foot flat on the board under their butt. Then the only real strength for the pop up comes from the leg instead of the upper body. Many students can’t get their foot under their butt and place it flat on the board.
Overweight students are especially challenged. The problem has arisen that while gaining weight they have not been exercising. All their muscles have atrophied. The muscles have no receptors for glucose so the muscles tire immediately. They have not been doing exercises that would give them flexibility so they cannot do the movement necessary for standing on the surfboard.
New surfers have to know their is a power to weight ratio that asks whether you have the strength to get your body off the surfboard. This need is underestimated by the many people with surfing on their bucket list that think it would be fun. It is fun, but it is more fun if you can do it.
Read a good book to get ready.
Visit the Home Page for Surf Lessons
Learn More
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.
Kindle price $2.99 on Amazon. Paperback price $6.95 on Amazon. Audio download price $7.95
Get Fit to Surf
A great guide to strength, flexibility, stamina, and leanness for surfing. Beginner strategies for getting stronger, more flexible, stronger cardiovascular system, and nutrition to lose weight. An improving surfer or one who wants to prepare must meet the whole body physical demands of surfing. Getting stronger improves ones ability to perform better.
Buy on Kindle for $5.99 or the Paperback for $7.99
Every Body Can Surf
To read a great book for getting in shape to surf or getting in better surfing shape, read my new book Overweight People 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.
Buy the E book on Amazon for $5.99
Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $7.99
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.
Buy the E-book on Amazon for $5.99
Buy the Paperback on Amazon for $7.99
