Surfing Exercise For a Fun Workout

We have several of our models who are also professional surfers. JME, Shayne, Linus Morris, and Kepa Kruse pictured above.

We are chatting today with Hayley who is an avid surfer and also has a cool website on surfing. Hayley has given us great surfing tips for great workouts.

Surf For Fitness

It is common knowledge that the best way to get in shape and stay in shape is to eat right and stay active. However, one of the hardest parts of this formula can be staying active, especially if you hate general fitness routines like jogging and going to the gym.

The best way to keep active is to find something fun and enjoyable that can also double as a workout. Sports are one of the best ways to work out without even knowing you're exercising!

One of the best sports for overall fitness is surfing. Don’t fall for the typical "surf bum" stereotype. The best surfers are anything but bums - they're often great athletes who stay in shape just by surfing. Have you ever noticed how surfers tend to be in shape, and even older surfers look many years younger than their actual age?

Surfing is an amazing workout. Key areas of the body that are strengthened just by surfing are your arms, shoulders, core muscles like your abs and obliques, and even your legs. Surfing involves a lot of paddling around, which is a great cardiovascular workout for your arms. Balancing on the board even while paddling involves the use of your core to maintain balance and stability. Once you're up and riding on the board, your entire body comes into play to maintain balance and position on the wave, but your legs will be getting a good workout as well.

A surf session can end up being three hours or more. That's three hours of intense paddling and surfing. Even small wave days can involve a heavy workout. It's also three hours of exercise that was so much fun you didn't even realize the time had passed.

The best thing about surfing is that once you're hooked by that famous "surf stoke," surfing becomes a kind of lifestyle. The passion you will develop for this sport will keep your mind and body active year round.

Surfing can be great for your soul as well as your body. Any sort of exercise releases endorphins, which cause you to feel a sense of well being. However, combine that with the intense pleasure of riding across a glassy ocean wave, and the results are amazing. All sports can cause you to feel great, but the pleasure of surfing seems to be its own unique sensation. There's an expression that says "only a surfer knows the feeling." This is very true. People often remember the exact moment when they rode a wave for the first time, just because of the excitement and sense of accomplishment.

Surfing is a difficult sport, and it you're just starting out it will take a bit of time to master the basics. Learning to surf can be a great confidence builder and challenge, as well as a fun time. Give yourself some realistic expectations. Don't expect to charge out there and rip on your very first day. It's going to take a bit of time, but it's well worth it. Everyone was a beginner at some point.

Don't look at surfing purely as a workout - look at it as a way to escape the stress of daily life, a way to experience the beauty of nature and the ocean, and a way to build confidence.

See you in the water!

Hayley Gordon is an avid surfer and webmaster of http://www.surfinghandbook.com

Check out Hayley's site here

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