Surf Warm Up
Try a light warm up before hitting the surf.
Before starting any exercise session, it is essenstial to warm up. There are two main reasons for this; first, warming up can make sports injuries less likely; second, the body works more efficently when warm and sports performance may actually improve. A good warm-up will have physiological, mechanical and psychological effects.
Warm up key points:
Types of warm up
A warm up can be passive with the body heated from the outside or active i.e. using exercise to form a rise in temperature internally.
An example of a passive warm up is to have a sauna or a hot shower. An active warm up can be achieved through light jogging, both types can be effective, but are appropriate in different situations.
An active warm up is the type normally used before exercise or surf, while the passive warm up is useful when lightly stretching a muscle that has been tightened from previous surf or strain.
The advantage of the passive warm up, from the surfer’s point of view of injury, is that it does not require the surfer to move the injured tissues in order to create body heat.
The use of external heat can also reduce pain and muscle spasm, helping the muscle to relax and allowing the stretch to be taken further.
However a light mobility warm up taking joints and ligaments combined with a light passive warm up could well be the better option.
- A warm up will reduce the strain placed on the heart by vigorous exercise.
- A good warm up enables the body to reach a ‘steady state ‘ of energy production gradually, and makes tissues more pliable and ready to exercise.
- A good surfing warm up should be continuous and rhythmical in nature It should also be between 4-8 minutes depending on the surf size.
A good surfing warm up should include:
- gentle exercise for the whole body, such as light jogging. This gradually increases the heart rate, breathing and blood supply to the muscles. It warms up muscles and can help you prepare for your first wave!
- additional light mobility exercises such as arm swings, and leg swings can also be of benefit to your surfing warm up.
- very light stretching can also be done, however try to avoid long streching as this should be done after a surf, slowly bringing your muscles back to a normal state.
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Arch side - Slowly reach one arm over your head, keeping your arms in line with the hips.
Back arch - Stand with feet hip width apart, lean forwards then slowly arch your back pulling your abdominals in as you do so.
Chicken wings - With hands fixed along side the front of the shoulders, slowly rotate the shoulders fully and then reverse.
Foot twirl - Rotate the foot in a clockwise movement the anti-clockwise, this will warm up the ankle.
Hamstrings - The hamstring stretch is a great post surfing stretch, use it very lightly as a pre surf movement.
Hip flex
Leg swing back - With light movements to start,slowly swing the leg backwards and forwards.
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