"Surf training is all about being ready. Its about preparing yourself so that when the surf does come you can paddle out and ride for three hours and be stoked - and not be washed onto the beach half-drowned after thirty minutes"

Rob Rowland Smith

 

Introduction

Surfing is a demanding sport requiring good all round fitness. It is also worth looking fit and healthy when you are in your board shorts or bikini! Explosive strength in your upper body for getting past that outside set of waves, in your legs for when stood up on that double over head barrel(!), great aerobic stamina for the paddle out and cardio vascular fitness for maintaining it all over an epic 3 hour session when the swell is perfect. Given that those 'Day of Days' come along only once in a while - its worth being prepared.

Warming Up.

Before surfing or training always warm up. There are three things you need to warm up; muscles, joints and blood. The first two are well known, the third less so.

Muscles.   The well-known analogy for muscles is that they are like a stick of chewing gum. When cold it is easy to put a stick of chewing gum under a little bit of pressure and it will snap. Chew it for a while so that it gets warm and you can stretch it miles. The same goes for muscles, go out first thing on a morning, go straight into the surf or on a training session and cold muscles will pull very quickly.

Joints.   This is heavily focussed on knees, ankles and hips - the shock absorbing joints. Between the bones in each joint is a small sack of synovial fluid. This is a shock-absorbing pad that prevents the shock of running or jumping damaging the cartilage and bone tissue around it. By warming up you stimulate the secretion of synovial fluid into the joint sack, bringing it up to the correct pressure before exercising and thus reducing the potential for damage to the cartilage around it.

Blood.   Often-ignored as part of the warm up. Ever wondered why you get out of breath running up stairs even though you are fit? Essentially it is because your blood hasn't warmed up. Your blood carries oxygen around your body to wherever it is working the hardest (lungs, arms legs). The oxygen sticks to the blood cells and the warmer your blood the 'stickier' (technical term!) the blood cells. Also after a short period of exercise your body realises you have been exercising and raises your blood pressure to help deliver oxygen to where it's needed. Hence why you feel light headed when you get to the top of the stairs - because you blood hasn't warmed up and it's all gone to your legs and not your head!

The best way to warm up is to do light, increasing movements that DON'T involve impact (i.e. both feet coming off the floor - running or jumping). Walking slowly and building up speed, gradually increasing the range of movement of limbs (ie circling your arms) and repeated movement of joints are all ideal. This will then warm blood, muscles and joints at the same time. Gradually increase this to gentle jogs for 3 - 4 minutes until you physically feel warm and you are ready to start your session.