Surf’s up! How to prep your body for a surf

Summer is definitely here and there is something magical about being in the ocean first thing in the morning, especially on our beautiful Queensland beaches. Surfing is an excellent form of exercise. It requires both upper body and lower body strength as well as core stability and balance.

So before you strap on your leggie, don’t forget to limber up. Try this quick routine to get your whole body moving well and ready to tackle the next epic set. Check out the video, with detailed instructions below.

1. Cat/cow

On your hands and knees. Take a slow deep breath while you arch your back up as far as you can, tucking your head. Then slowly breath out looking up to the sky, dropping your chest down towards the sand. Continue for 30seconds.

2. Down dog to cobra

Standing, reach over and touch your toes, then walk your hands out to down dog position. Push your chest down to the sand and your heels down to extend this stretch for one breath. Then lower your hips to plank position, hold for 3 seconds before lowering your whole body down to lie on your tummy. Push your shoulders up off the sand arching your back keeping your hips on the sand for a nice deep breath. Lastly push your hips back up again to press into down dog. Continue through this flow for about a minute

3. Lunges with side bend

Standing, elevate both arms up above your head. Deep lunge forward on one leg, then while you are in a lunge side bend to the side of your front foot. Return to standing again then repeat on the other side. Continue changing legs for about a minute.

4. Lumbar pendulum

Lie on your back with your knees elevated up in table top position, arms out to the side. Slowly roll both knees to one side controlling with your abdominals, then bring them up and over to the other side. Continue slowly for 30sec.

5. Single leg glute bridge

Lie on your back, one leg bent up, the other elevated off the ground. Squeezing your glutes lift your hips up off the ground as far as you can, then lower. Repeating slowly about 10 times each side. Remember you can do this with 2 feet if you’re unable to do them on 1 leg.

This post was written by Allyson Flanagan, Physiotherapist and Clinical Pilates Instructor at Stafford Physiotherapy and Pilates.