Having grown up in a fairly sporty family, naturally I was thrust into every sport imaginable. Tennis, Soccer, Rugby, Basketball and Athletics. Despite being fairly fit as a result of this lifestyle, nothing could prepare me for paddling out into 6ft+ waves at my local. Taking set after set on the head as I paddled my way across the shallow sand-bank. Surfing fitness is a completely different type of fitness and one that can have many health benefits.
You already know this one if you surf. The "Surfer's High" you have after a session in the line-up with those feel-good hormones rushing through the system. These help TO both lift your mood and to momentarily escape the dreary everyday routine of daily life. Instead of riding your emtions, get wet and ride a wave.
Moving burns calories and a good, hard paddle-out through 6 foot close-out beachies gets the arms, lungs, abs and shoulders burning! Every run from the car park to the shore, every duck-dive, every stroke adds up to more and more of these calories being used to fuel the session. Do this regularly and you'll soon be down the local surf shop looking for new, better fitting boardies or wettie to show off that lean, mean surfing machine that is you.
There is no substitute to surfing, than actually surfing either. So if you have a trip to Indo coming up anytime soon. Replace a handful of those gym sessions with surfing. If there's no surf, paddle from headland to headland and back. Anything to get those arms, shoulders and back prepared for 6+ hour sessions overseas.
You don't want to lose "it" as you grow older do you?
Doing regular aerobic exercise such as surfing helps slow age-related and mental decline. Studies show that fitter, older people score better in mental tests and this is also proven with stroke victims having significant improvements in brain function when combining exercise with their recovery. Keep surfing and you'll avoid ending up like Crazy Doug outside the local takeaway telling any poor sod who falls into his orbit about how 5G is controlling all the magpies to spy on us for ASIO.
Surf for 30 minutes 5 times a week and you'll live longer. FACT!
Even if you're on the durries, doing this could add an extra 2 years that you wouldn't have had! As a non-smoker you'll gain even more time in the line-up surfing circles around the weekend warriors and the Brazilian "students" who don't seem to ever be in class.
Throw in the fact you are living and breathing a natural environment, with salt on your skin, sun in your eyes and wax between your toes. Surfing is as good of an outlet you're ever going to need. Relieve stress and tension all in the one session!
