Surf-FIT – Surfing For Fit Bodies

Have you ever seen an overweight surfer?

Maybe, but it is definitely not common. That is because surfing burns calories for an extended period of time and uses muscles in quick bursts, like interval training. Surfing shapes and tones the body in such as way that is often appealing to women, because it tends to create longer leaner muscles.

Surfing involves several physical actions: paddling, popping-up to a standing position, controlling the board while on a wave, and duck diving. Each of these actions uses a different part of the body, toning and building strength.

The act of padding targets the rear, front, and medial deltoids (the shoulders).

Paddling builds strength in the shoulders and increases flexibility. It’s the kind of shoulder workout that won’t build bulk but will tone and shape instead.

The “pop-up” in surfing, simply put, standing up on the board, is a complex move involving three steps.

The first uses both the chest muscles and the triceps to create a push up action. The second half of that move is sort of like an abdominal crunch that is achieved through thrusting the legs up to the hands. Finally, the act of standing involves balance and core strength. In order to stand, the body has to be stable.

Controlling the board takes core strength, balance, and leg strength. The legs control the board, with the back leg in control. It takes more than just legs, though, to stay up! The whole body has to be balanced on the wave, with tight abs as a result!

After you fall from the wave, the cycle begins again, and you will need to be able to “duck dive” under the wave to get back out there. This is a similar movement to the beginning of the pop-up, but is more like a push down than a push up. Again, great for the chest and triceps!

Get Fit To Surf

Surfing may be intimidating or even seem scary if you have never ridden waves, but the new program, Surf-FIT, is designed specifically to get you to where you need to be in order to make a splash in the surf scene. The Surf-FIT program is amazing, because it incorporates exercises that gear your body up to prepare you for surfing. Exercises include pop-ups, kettle bells, stability and core exercises, and more. The workout consists of 2 dry land (beach) workouts, and 1 in the water surf workout by our friends at Surf Diva Surf School. What a great way to get a workout and learn a lifelong sport that will keep your body fit!