How to Lose Weight With Longboarding

Paddling a board out to a break and catching waves is demanding aerobic exercise. While most calorie calculators tell you that a person who weighs around 150 pounds will burn about 200 calories in an hour of surfing, that's actually less than you would burn while walking. A more accurate measurement of your calorie burn should take into account the rigors of paddling a heavy board to reach the break and then sprint-paddling to catch waves. Longboarding actually burns at least 400 calories an hour -- and you can easily tack on to that calorie burn to melt the pounds.

Things You'll Need

  • Longboard
  • Leash
  • Wetsuit (optional)
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Instructions

  1. Pre-Session Warm-up

    • 1

      Windmill your arms frontward for 30 seconds and then backward for 30 seconds.

    • 2

      Stretch your hamstrings by bending at the waist and touching your toes -- or your ankles or shins if that's more realistic. Hold the position for 30 seconds and then repeat.

    • 3

      Do 25 jumping jacks.

    Beach Burn

    • 4

      Place your board on the sand. Position yourself on the board as if you're paddling out.

    • 5

      Grasp the sides of the board firmly with your hands and push up while bringing your feet underneath you.

    • 6

      Drop back down. Do three sets of 10 or 12 repetitions.

    Eliminate Downtime

    • 7

      Paddle out into the water, catch your first wave, ride it in and paddle back out. Instead of sitting idly between sets, paddle down to the next break.

    • 8

      Each time you catch a wave, ride it all the way into the beach so that you have to go farther when you paddle back out again.

    • 9

      If you're facing a day with no waves, try paddling your board the length of the local beach and back again.