Turning up on an eagerly-awaited surf trip unfit is less than ideal. What is also less than ideal is wasting three days while your body remembers how your muscles work. We offer some practical at-home tips for you to have the best chance of an epic surf trip.
Words by Rachel Lingham & Joel Rollason | Illustrations by Bess Shipside | 30th October '24
Surf. In its very basic form surfing is a sequence of paddling, popping up to your feet and balancing on your board. Of course there are a million and one other things that come into surfing but if you get those three basics down and spend a lot of time doing it, doing it and then doing it again that’s a pretty good start.
Surf is so much more than just a physical and fitness activity or a sport, it’s about travel, community, the outdoors, care for the environment and – most importantly – soul.
So this article contains:
Honestly, there’s nothing quite like surfing to improve surf fitness – and if you don’t live near the ocean that is not very helpful advice. But there are things you can do to get yourself ready for that surf trip or session. So we’ve put together some movements that may help you to prepare for the surfing trinity of paddling, popping up and balancing.
These ancillary exercises are useful as, even if you surf all the time, they will make you stronger, more injury-proof, more mobile – and therefore a better athlete. Because, here’s the kicker – if you are exercising intentionally, then you are an athlete.
And if you start to approach surf training with that mindset, you will have a mental – and physical – advantage
There are a number of complex devices and apparatus out there to help surfers practise their paddling, but honestly nothing beats swimming at your local pool. A mix of freestyle and breaststroke works the same muscle groups that you need to recruit when you paddle your surfboard.
A nice routine goes something like this:
Do it a few times a week – start where you are and build up the lengths as you get fitter – if you can start this process a couple of months before your trip you’ll really notice the difference.
Lie on your front and jump to your feet with your leading foot landing between your hands, staying low (the action is like a twisted burpee!)
If you surf a longer board, using your toes to help is an option, but if you surf a shortboard, then practise springing up from your thighs (keep the feet lifted before you jump to avoid using them.)
Keep the hands on the floor as you jump into this low, drop-knee position. Then step back to high plank (or jump to Chaturanga if you are full of energy!) ready to lower down for four more pop ups. After the fifth pop, step back to Plank and press back into Downward Dog.
Read more about how to train your pop-ups here on our Journal (‘Getting surf trip fit’)
Training your popups on dry land is - hands down - the best way to refine them
Plank position
All the below exercises are made more efficient with a strong exhale for effort. Good rule of thumb in any fitness work. And life. Perhaps do 45 seconds of each exercise with 15 seconds rest before the next. Build up, and take it slow while you get the form right.
One of the best ways to get strong enough for an explosive pop up is a press up. They increase your core stability and strength, both vital for a controlled jump up to your feet. They also train the muscles we need for paddling, helping with stamina and endurance for those long sessions.
But press ups are hard for me
Yep, that is true – you are, after all, lifting your bodyweight from the floor – but you can make them a little easier by dropping your knees to the ground, and training this way until you’re strong enough for the full version.
But press ups are easy for me
Showoff. Well, take it one step further into a ‘burpup’ ... ™ ... a normal press up but finish by jumping up to your feet, and adding a clap above your head. Do this for a minute as fast as you can.
We take no responsibility for any rage that may occur.
Having extra core strength before your surf trip is ace. Planks, high & forearm, are great, but...kinda boring. So have some variations to help get you strongstrongstong. All starting from high plank.
You’ll need something heavy for this one, like a kettlebell, dumbbell, tin of beans or small pet. Start in high plank with the weight behind your right wrist (out to the side a bit is good).
With your core engaged, and without moving anywhere else in the body, use your left hand to drag the weight behind your left wrist). Repeat with right hand, left to right.
Keep alternating, as many times as you like.
You know this one. Does great things to strengthen the obliques and hip flexors.
From high plank roll sideways, either onto your right hand – or right elbow if you want to take it easy – and the outside of your right foot.
Left foot stacks on top of right, or if that’s a bit much, bend your right knee and take it to the floor while you build strength.
Lift your left arm up. For more of a challenge, you could pulse your left leg up into the air.
Fun, huh? Your torso is straight, in line, with no sagging or bending allowed. Change sides and repeat.
Think fast. Like high plank and running had a baby. Alternate bringing your knees towards the backs of your elbows to add some cardio. Rapido. Make sure you are straight back to high plank after every knee-to-elbow.
Similar to mountain climbers, but as you bring your feet and knees forward, land your left foot to the side of your left hand
Swap, like a deep lunge repeated over...and over. Careful with this one, go slow if you need to.
Mountain - or Everest - Climbers. Owchie
Malcolm Gladwell tells us we need to spend 10,000 hours practising something to become an expert. Better get started, then
We’re going to keep this real simple. You can stretch out and cool down using the yoga tips in this booklet, but the exercise below is brilliant for warming up the hips, getting some dynamic mobility & strength in there - and you can use this before and after a session.
These get your hips mobile and ready for a smoother pop-up, facilitate deeper compression for turns & manoeuvres – and bullet-proof those knees and hips.
Sit with your right shin parallel (as much as possible) to the front of your mat/your torso.
Left leg is bent backwards so the inside of your thigh, calf and foot are on the floor.
The further you draw your left leg away from your right foot, the stronger the stretch. Exhale and stretch your chest towards your right shin (not knee). Arms out front.
Without using your hands*, lift both knees, rotate your legs and body around so that the left shin ends up where the right started. Repeat as many times as you like on both sides.
* If that is too hard, use the hands on the floor for support and as you build strength & mobility start to lift the hands away.
An addition to the shinboxes. Get into the shinbox starting position to start.
Lift your arms away from the floor, activate your glutes and press your front knee and shin into the ground to drive your hips up, squeezing your glutes and quads.
Hold for 1 to 2 seconds and then sit back down. Slowly as you can, so you are using muscular control and not simply flopping down (use your hands on the floor for support if needed).
Rotate your hips to switch legs and repeat
In surfing, much like swimming, we need to control our breath – and our mind. Practising some simple breathwork techniques can really help you keep calm, focused and present in the line-up. Box breathing is a great technique, and simple as you like.
Repeat for as long as you like (do at least a minute) Extend the breaths and holds if you feel good to do so, maybe building up to 8-12 seconds for each.
Shinboxes - for great hip mobility
Check out our top five inspirational, independent, well-crafted, beautifully shot films that showcase travel, adventure, art, environmental issues, philosophy & music – all intertwined with surf.
Beware, there’s a lot of old tosh out there in the surf literature world, but nestling amongst it are some gems. Here’s a few to whet your whistle that aren’t really ‘surf’ books per se.
Want more film reccos? Read our ‘Top 15 Surf Movies’ article, right here on the Journal.
