I highly recommend warming up your body before you start bodysurfing. As a NASM certified personal trainer for the past 10 years, I have identified key warmup exercises to get you ready for riding waves, preventing injury, and improving performance.
movement #1 – Downward Dog Pedal
Start in a downward-facing dog position as you do in yoga. This is where your body is bent in half to form an inverted “V” shape. Your arms and legs remain straight while pushing your glutes upward and back toward the ceiling. Your hands and feet are the only parts of your body touching the ground. Once you have successfully assumed this position, begin slowly pedaling your feet up and down by raising and lowering your heels. You will feel the stretch all throughout your hamstrings and calves. Pedal each foot a total of 10 times each. Rest and then repeat one more time.
movement #2 – quad stretch
Start by standing on one leg. It may be difficult to balance so feel free to use a wall for support. Contract the hamstring of the foot that is not touching the ground. You want to think about raising your foot up behind you towards your glutes. Now grab your raised foot and continue gently pulling towards your glute to feel the stretch in your quad muscles. Hold this position for about 20 seconds per leg.
movement #3 – arm circles
Slowly make large circles simultaneously with both arms going forwards in the same direction for 10 rotations. Then reverse the movement by rotating them backward for 10 repetitions. Next, repeat the same movements but creating smaller circles. This will warm up your shoulder joints and rotator cuffs to prevent potential injury during swimming.
movement #4 – arm swings
Start with your hands down by your side roughly six inches from your waist. Remember to keep your arms very loose. Now swing them up and across your body with your right arm on top first. Return your arms naturally back down to the starting position and repeat the swinging action but with your left arm crossing top of your right. Repeat this movement for a total of 10 – 20 repetitions. Now, bend your torso so you are staring at the ground but keep your back straight. Perform 10 – 20 repetitions of arm swings in this bent-over position.
movement #5 – rotator cuff
Vertical– start with hands down by your waist. Raise your elbows up and out to the side with fingertips pointing towards the ground. Now rotate your fingers up towards the ceiling and then slowly lower them back down to the starting position. Perform 10 repetitions. Horizontal – pull your elbows in tight to your rib cage with forearms parallel to the ground. Flip your palms so they are facing upward. Now, externally rotate your forearms as wide as you can while keeping your elbows stuck to your rib cage. Return to starting position and repeat. Perform 10 repetitions.
movement #6 – bodyweight squats
Bodyweight squats are an excellent dynamic warmup movement that you can perform before bodysurfing. Not only will it fire up the core and legs, but also helps to improve hip mobility and flexibility. This exercise will definitely get you ready for any physical activity. I recommend performing 2 sets of 10 – 20 repetitions to get your body warmed up for the surf.
movement #7 – swimmers
“Swimmers” involve simply alternating opposite arm and leg lifts. Do not be deceived, this exercise is actually quite challenging. It recruits many back muscles and stabilizing muscles that we do not normally use on a day-to-day basis. This is an excellent way to get your body warmed for swimming in the ocean. I recommend performing 2 sets of 10 – 20 alternating leg and arm lifts. You will feel this throughout your entire posterior.
benefits of warming up
Warmup exercises have many benefits to getting your body prepared before riding waves. I have listed a few of them below:
prevent injury by preparing your ligaments and joints
stretching will prevent cramps
increased bodysurfing performance
I highly recommend implementing a warmup routine as part of your bodysurfing regimen, especially as you get older.
*Also, you can incorporate additional exercises warm–ups such as pushups and lunges. I usually do a few sets of these to get the blood pumping before I head to the beach as well.
The most important thing to remember is to not get hurt while you are in the ocean. Therefore implementing a warm-up routine is critical. Performing dynamic movements and stretching before you dive into the ocean is key to protecting you from injury and improving your bodysurfing performance so you can make the most out of each wave-riding session.
Related Questions:
how long should you warmup before bodysurfing?
If you do all of the recommended sets and reps of the warmup exercises prescribed in this article, it should take no longer than 10 – 15 minutes. This is enough time for you to increase your heart rate and get your body ready for physical activity.
when should you warmup before bodsurfing?
It is best to perform these warmup movements close to the time you go bodysurfing. I recommend about 20 minutes before you start riding waves. This provides an adequate amount of time to elevate your heart rate, loosen up your joints, and then allow for 5 – 10 minutes before you jump into the water.
where should you perform this warm up routine?
Before beginning your warm-up routine, it is best to make sure you perform these exercises in a large, open space to prevent injury. The beach is a great place to warm up if you don’t mind people watching you. You can also perform this routine in the comfort of your own home if you have enough space.
I recommend performing exercises in an area that provides about 3 – 5 feet of free space around your body. This will prevent you from injuring yourself or damaging nearby furniture.
Living on Cape Cod during the summer as a child has forever turned Derek into a beach bum. He continues to live the simple beach life riding waves in South FL where handboarding is his new passion. This blog is his way of sharing any tips and tricks along his journey.
So you finally got a Kung-fu traction pad for your Slyde Wedge handboard to enhance your grip while bodysurfing. But how do you install it correctly onto your board? I have created this step-by-step...
Is this your first time using a bodysurfing handboard? If so, you need to make sure you wear it correctly in order for it to work properly. I created this simple hand placement guide so you don't...
