Exercise Routines for Surfing

The best surfers are fit and prepared for their next wave. Through drills and solid workouts that help enhance your form, you can improve your performance in the sport of surfing. Important areas to cover in your workout are upper body strength and agility training exercises to keep you in shape.

  1. Squats

    • Your legs are your primary shock absorbers in surfing, so they need to be well conditioned. Technique is important with squats, especially for surfers who need to practice stability with proper squat form. You must keep your back straight and descend until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push from your legs to bring yourself back to starting position. Doing a total of 40 to 50 repetitions per workout will get your legs in surfing shape.

    Push-Ups

    • Push-ups, whether done the standard straight-arm way or with a stability ball, will help condition your shoulders and your arms. You need strong arms to paddle out into waves and swim to safety, so working arm and shoulder muscles is important. To perform the standard push-up, place your hands shoulder-width apart and descend with your head down until your arms make a 90-degree angle. You can go further or return to starting position. Straight arm push ups are similar to the standard, except that you descend just until you feel a stretch between the shoulder blades and then return to starting position. When using a stability ball, anchor yourself with your feet and then place your hands shoulder-width apart on the ball. Descend until you reach a 90-degree angle with your arms and then raise back to starting position. Twenty repetitions of each type of push-up per workout is sufficient.

    Plyometrics and Cardio

    • Plyometrics and cardio workouts may be too intensive for just one workout. You can alternate between the two every workout. Plyometrics engage your fast muscle fibers, which you use often in surfing. Try jumping up a flight of stairs or jumping high and tucking you knees in toward your chest. Any plyometrics circuit will be tiring but well worth the results.

      The cardio aspect of training can consist of running for 15 minutes a day on a treadmill with a high incline. The purpose of cardio is to get your heart rate up. Cardio is especially important if you have weak lungs. You'll need strong lungs to handle a lengthy swim back to shore if it becomes necessary.