Surfing is a sport that young and old alike. Imagine riding along the face of a breaking wave. Thrilling, right? Surfing’s a popular pastime for the young and adventurous. It may be easier to learn how to master the skills in surfing when you’re young and nimble, but even people pushing into their mid-30s or 40s with a sense of adventure can be terrific surfers.
The body may show signs of wear after 25, but eating the right foods and spending time conditioning for surfing will have you surfing better. Two things may help you if you plan to learn and later on get serious about surfing. These are to improve your swimming and learn to hold your breath underwater.
To be a good surfer, you also need to work on being elastic. Quit smoking, because its effects will get in the way of having strong lung power. Surfer-friends say all it takes is a single lesson to learn the basics, but tons of practice, determination and commitment. That means spending time conditioning for surfing and developing the skills involved.
When conditioning for surfing, take note that you will be twisting and bending in every imaginable way. Surfing is not for the faint-hearted, so if you’re queasy about the challenging water sport and will just get panicky about sea pests and changing conditions in the ocean, some other sport may be better for you. On the other hand, those who are deadset on learning are in for an adrenaline-pumping experience and great body conditioning.
Even a beginning surfer will know that exercises come close to what a seasoned surfer does in the water. Work from there. To boost surf fitness, enroll in an exercise program designed to help get you in shape for your specific sport. To develop good shoulders, arms, and strengthen other body parts, use simple exercise aids like a stability ball. Place your hands on the stability ball and perform push-ups. It’s also important to concentrate on increasing your cardiovascular conditioning. Your main focus should be on increasing core strength, endurance, and strengthening your heart and lungs.
You can also begin your conditioning for surfing by skipping rope. Jogging on soft sand at least once a week, targeting about eight to 10 kilometers a week, and swimming, first in a pool and then in the ocean will help improve your lung power. Joining an aerobic class will also be beneficial. You must also develop upper body strength because you will be paddling and taking on waves.
