How do you strecht out and strengthen your back, for surfing?

Question

I have the typical "surfers back". Round, wide, and full of knots...(!) Are there ideal exercises to compensate for the effort of paddling?

Answer 1

my brother is a proffessional surfer, and every single time before he goes surfing, he lies on the beach doing some yoga. try lying on your back, and pulling your right knee over to your left with your right arm whilst keeping your back on the sand. then do this for your left leg. its also a good idea to swil your arms about (round and around :P) to loosen your shoulders up.

Answer 2

go to the gym, it helps strengthen areas that you work on

Answer 3

I think the stretch Kooky is describing is one of the best for surfing.  Believe it or not, your hips are what tends to limit you during surfing (unless you are having upper back pain).  Check out this book:  http://www.surfflex.com/

You can find it at Amazon or your local Barnes & Nobel.  

Basically, try to stretch your the major muscles of the hips (outside) as they tend to pull down your lower back muscles and subsequently cause a lot of stress on your back.  If your neck and upper back are bothering you, try to keep your chin closer to the deck of your board when you are paddling around in the lineup.  You'll find that being "prone" with your head help high causes a ton of stress on your upper back.  It takes some time for your body to get adjusted to this....

And definitely do the stretch Kooky describes

Answer 4

Before I go surfing, I use same stretch excercise as I do when I go swimming. Any type of stretching will help as you risk serious injury if you don't. I found this out the hard way.

Another excellent way to strenghten your back and other muscles, believe it or not, is to use swiss ball. It is also excellent to practice your balance, which is what surfing is all about. The Surfers Bungee Swissball (BSB) Workout will show you few excercises and can be found by following link below.

SurfFlex book by Paul Frediani is a good choice, and you can find few of his articles with images and instructions at Surf Newquay site: http://www.surfnewquay.co.uk/knowledge/t... .

Hope this helps.

Answer 5

Try yoga, or lift weights.