What is Fitness for Surfing?
Fitness for surfing determines how well you can perform techniques and how long you are able to effectively paddle to catch waves. In the beginner surf lesson pop up, students have to place their foot under their butt and stand up on it. This requires a little flexibility that many overweight and sedentary people find difficult.
It Could be Called Paddling Instead of Surfing
Surfing requires paddling to catch waves and then paddling to ride out through waves. Swimmers are used to lots of strokes and their muscles store the additional glycogen for endurance. Those who don’t exercise upper body muscles have no glycogen stores and therefore less endurance fuel.
One of the best paddlers I have seen paddled strong for a two hour lesson. I asked him what he did for exercise and he said he worked out in his gym at work for an hour and a half every day. Overall stamina is good and I find soccer players, gymnasts, and triathletes also come to the sport with endurance.
Learning Ease is Important
The techniques of surfing require listening and being able to get the body to do as you instruct. I have students count each step out loud in the waster to over come their tendency to worry about the environment over what they should execute. Students who are in regular practice of learning new movementes with their bodies are able to translate more easily.
Girls usually learn better than boys. They listen more intently and do not have as many egotistical blockers telling them they can figure it out on their own. The techniques are counter-intuitive at the beginning so students have to be willing to surrender their egos to learn the right process and steps.
Cross Training
Cross training for surfing is beneficial. Training in the gym for upper body with cable pulls is helpful for paddling. Over all core strength through squats and dead lifts are excellent. An aerobic exercise like biking, running, or treadmill builds stamina and recovery.
Learn More
For Oceanside Surf Lessons, see the Home Page
See the Post Surf Lessons Begin with Foam Waves
See the Post What You Learn in a 2 Hour Lesson
See the Post How to Progress in Surfing
See My Dry Land and In Water Demo video
See How to Catch a Green/Real Wave video