Tips on how to improve your surfing fitness

5 May, 2023

Surfing fitness is a type of fitness program that incorporates a variety of exercises and activities that are specifically designed to improve the physical fitness of surfers.

These activities help to improve strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and endurance, which can help to improve an individual's overall surfing performance.

Here's how you can improve your surfing fitness:

1) Warm Up: Before you start your surfing fitness routine, always warm up your body. This will help prevent injuries and help your body prepare for physical activity. Examples of warm-up exercises include jogging, jumping jacks, and dynamic stretches.

2) Cardio: Incorporate cardio exercises into your surfing fitness routine to improve your endurance and cardiovascular fitness. Examples of cardio exercises include running, swimming, cycling, and rowing.

3) Strength Training: Strength training exercises such as weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, and resistance band exercises can help to improve your overall strength and power. This will help you paddle out and maneuver on your board more easily.

4) Core Training: Core training exercises can help to improve your balance and stability while you’re in the water. Core exercises such as planks, side planks, and bridges are great for strengthening your core.

5) Flexibility Training: Flexibility exercises such as yoga and stretching can help to improve your range of motion and reduce the risk of injury.

6) Balance and Agility Drills: Balance and agility drills such as ladder drills and cone drills can help to improve your coordination and reaction time.

The exercises used in a surfing fitness program can be tailored to the individual's needs and skill level. Common exercises used in a surfing fitness program include bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, resistance training, core stability exercises, and balance and agility drills.

Bodyweight exercises are exercises that use the weight of your own body as resistance. Examples of bodyweight exercises include push-ups, squats, lunges, burpees, planks, and other similar exercises. These exercises can be done anywhere and require no equipment, making them a great way to work out when you’re on the go. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to build strength, endurance, and balance, as well as improve your overall fitness level. They can also be used as part of a more comprehensive fitness program.

Plyometrics is a type of exercise that involves quick, powerful movements to develop strength, speed, and power. Plyometric exercises involve stretching a muscle quickly, followed by a powerful contraction. This type of exercise is often used by athletes to improve their performance in sports such as basketball, football, and track and field. Plyometric exercises typically involve jumping, hopping, and bounding. These exercises help to improve the speed and power of the muscles, which can improve an individual's overall athletic performance. Plyometrics can also be used to improve balance and coordination and help reduce the risk of injury.

Resistance training is a type of exercise that involves using resistance to build strength, power, and endurance. Resistance training can involve weights, bands, and machines, and can be done with bodyweight exercises as well. Resistance training increases muscle mass, improves muscle tone, and increases strength and power. It can also help to improve balance, coordination, and flexibility. Resistance training can be done at home or in a gym and can be adapted to suit a person's individual fitness level. For beginners, it is important to start with light weights and low reps to avoid injury. Once a person has become more comfortable with the exercises, they can increase the weight and reps to challenge themselves. Resistance training is a great way to improve physical fitness and can be used to complement other forms of exercise.

Core stability exercises are exercises that are designed to improve the strength and stability of the muscles that make up the core of the body. The core includes the muscles in the abdomen, back, pelvis, and hips. These muscles provide support and stability to the body and are essential for good posture, balance, and movement. Core stability exercises are important for surfers as they help to improve balance, coordination, and stability in the water, as well as reduce the risk of injury.

More stability exercises can involve using bodyweight exercises, medicine balls, stability balls, and resistance bands. Examples of core stability exercises include planks, side planks, dead bugs, Russian twists, and bird dogs. It’s important to start with basic exercises and progress to more challenging ones as you get stronger. Core stability exercises should be done two or three times per week for best results.

Balance and agility drills are exercises that involve improving balance, coordination, and agility. These drills are used to improve an individual's ability to quickly change direction, move quickly, and stay balanced. Balance and agility drills are important for surfers as they help to improve performance in the water.

Balance drills involve standing on one leg or on an unstable surface, such as a balance board, Bosu ball, or wobble board. These exercises help to improve balance and coordination by challenging the body to remain stable and strong. Balance drills can also help reduce the risk of injury by improving core strength and stability.

Agility drills involve movements that involve quickly changing direction or speed.

Examples of agility drills include ladder drills, cone drills, and shuttle runs. These drills help to improve an individual's ability to move quickly and efficiently. They also help to improve coordination and reaction time.

Agility drills can be done at home or in the gym and can be adapted to suit a person's individual fitness level.

On top of all this, surfing is the best way to improve your fitness, and if you cannot get in the water, we suggest you get on a Smooth Star surf skateboard and train that way. You can find out more about our Smooth Star skateys in our Middleton store.