Is surfing really good exercise?

Question

Why is it that surfer always look so fit? Surfing to me doesn't look like it would be that great of a workout ... what is going on here?

Answer 1

Yep.  Really good exercise.  The only thing I find consistently lacking is enough exercise for my legs (but I think that has more to do with not living at J-Bay).

Answer 2

Oh yeah it is!  I started surfing at the beginning of the summer and paddling is strenous.  You got to battle the current, paddle for waves, miss waves that you paddled really hard for so now your in the break zone and you GOTTA paddle back out (and get hit back several times with incoming breaks).  And this is on a relatively calm day!  What everyone said above is spot on (and a really liked John F's answer).  Then you drift... and you need to walk like a mile to get back to your spot.  Now surfers aren't suppossed to complain, and i thank you for the opportunity for me to do so.  The hardest part is paddling back out after you caught a wave.

So your shoulders get worked out from paddling and the rest of your upper body, you got to constantly balance (sitting, standing, laying.... falling), and when you wipeout, you need to get back your board as quickly as you can.  Surfing is not an easy thing to do.  It takes a lifetime of practice.

Answer 3

You have no idea... Probably a better upper body workout then any gym workout Ive done.  All the paddling in the ocean (currents, undertow, oncoming waves) can be exhausting.  My  back muscles and shoulders can be painfully sore after a good surfing session.

Answer 4

people who don't surf think that you only use your arms to paddle out there. Thats easy work. When your trying to catch a big wave, you have to keep paddling hard and fast until you feel the wave take control of your board, and the you have to use your legs to get up, and balance.

Arm mussels are used more than any other mussel while surfing

Answer 5

Get   the  videos   Blue Horizon  &  Billabong Oddysey . { Avail  on  NetFlix }

Dealing  with  the  ocean is  a  Major  work  out .

Swimming  in  it  is   wayyyyy  harder  than  a  pool   or  lake .

Most  surfing  requires  paddling  out  to  the  breaks  then

Super  strong  legs  to  stay  up .

All  of   the professional  water  guys  end  up  supermen  from  the  workouts .

>

Answer 6

surfing is a great workout

you have to be doin it for awhile to build your strength

i mean you have to paddle which is when you use your swimming muscles n such

then doin carving and doin tricks on the board on the wave will reall work ur abs and lower body

Answer 7

Surfing (real surfing, not movie stuff, or a two hour tourist lesson) is intensely physical, even when the surf is relatively tame. Real surfing requires real ocean swimming skills. Ocean swimming isn't pool swimming, I've seen lots of great pool swimmers have to get rescued. It requires stamina, and uses all kinds of muscles to balance.

Now, if you ever saw me, you would change your mind about surfers looking fit. At least I look alive. However, I just spent the last five days surfing two sessions a day, in small to moderate conditions, and believe me, I was 'whupped' after a couple of hours in the water.

Lets try to analyze what goes on:

1) walk to the beach (some places a hundred yards, some a mile or more)

2) paddle out (strenuous enough on a moderate day, brutal on a big day)

3) Sitting in the line up. Constantly subconsciously adjusting balance as you sit on the surf board as it goes over swells)

4) Picking a wave (paddling with your back arched way back and your neck straining to look at that wave twenty yards away trying to paddle into a good position to 'take off')

5) taking off (paddling explosively to push youself forward and move onto the face of the wave)

6) "poppin up" (doing a 'squat thrust" on a moving board less than two feet wide)

7) Turns (using your weight through you legs and trunk to turn a surfboard moving across the face of the wave)

8)"kicking out" (stalling the board and using your legs and hips force it away from the beach while you catch it as you lay back down on it)

9) "wiping out" (falling off a fast moving surfboard into water of indeterminant depth with a broken wave (maybe a VERY LARGE BROKEN WAVE) slams down on you requiring you to get the most you can out of that last breath, while tumbling around in the water)

10) paddling back out for the next wave........

That is why there are not many other fat 56 year old guys doing it.

Answer 8

o yeah its amazing..

with your arms paddleing out there..

your abs get sore.

same with your calfs

Answer 9

when you watch a surf movie, especially a hollywood production like blue crush, they dont show you nearly everything that actually takes place durring a surf session.  in reality most of the time is spent paddling out to the waves around the line up, and trying to fight strong currents to stay in the best place to take off. when you dont only use your arms.  your back and shoulders are the main source of power, but you are constantly using the rest of your body to stabilize yourself on your board.  go try swimming for a few hours in a normal pool and then imagine what its like to have the pool constantly moving.

Answer 10

Its a great workout, for your biceps, triceps in paddling, and youre abs in basically any part of riding a wave. Its also works your lats and shoulders, again with paddling. Popping up when your dropping in also works your arms and chest and legs. And depending on what kinds of turns you know how to do you  can work different parts of your arms as well, for example a double armed roundhouse will both stretch and work your arms.

Answer 11

great for your shoulders

Answer 12

Yes it is a great work out and alot of fun too.

The Surfboard Man

http://www.thesurfboardman.com/