Preparation for Surfing:
We are afraid to announce that for you to surf to your full capabilities you will have to put in a little work before you hit the surf. We are talking about exercise! Surfing is meant to be fun and it is, but if you want to maximize your enjoyment and increase the speed that you improve, and increase the time that you can spend in the water without surfing then you are going to need to do a little work. There are three main areas to work on and we will look are each of these in turn.
Upper Body Strength
You need to have good Upper Body Strength to even paddle out to get a wave - no mean feat on a big day where you have to spend at least 10 minutes paddling against walls of white water. You then need the strength to paddle into the waves, and the strength to push up onto your feet, then the strength... You get the idea, surfing can be damn hard work. While you are at it you also need to work on strengthening your lower body muscles!. A good way to increase your upper body strength is to simply lift a few weights down at the gym. You will look and feel better for it and you will find it helping your surfing to no end. If you don't have the time, inclination or money to go to the gym then why not try starting a push-up routine - GET DOWN AND GIVE US TWENTY YOU 'ORRIBLE LITTLE SQUIRTS. Swimming is a great way to increase your upper and lower body strength, and your stamina and endurance. Speaking of endurance...
Endurance
Endurance means that you will be able to surf better for longer - we all know that is a good thing. Take up jogging, slowly building the distance that you run over a period of time. Any aerobic exercise will help you increase your endurance and give your cardiovascular system a good workout. If you have completed an epic paddle out and caught a wave straight back in for a 300 meter ride you are going to need serious endurance to keep this up for the next two hours!
Flexibility
To perform well at any sport it is a good idea to be flexible. Surfing is a very physical sport, making flexibility all the more important. Touch your toes, do a bit of yoga or anything else that will help you. Being flexible (and warming up before a surf) will reduce the chance of sustaining a muscle injury during your surfing.
A good level of overall fitness is desirable for a healthy lifestyle anyway, so use surfing as an excuse to start getting into shape and living more healthily. You will feel and look better for it - plus you will look a thousand times better in your boardies, bikini or speedos!
