Surfers did you know that Pilates could help improve your Surfing? We can all agree that the ideal way to improve your surfing would be to hit the waves every day. But since that is not always possible, why not incorporate a workout outside of the water that can enhance your performance and maybe even improve your surfing.
5 Benefits of Pilates for Surfers:
- Core Strength & Stability = Better Control of Movement
- Opens the Chest = Better Paddling
- Articulates the Spine = Better Mobility
- Develop Lean Muscles = Full Range of Motion
- Gain more Balance & Flexibility = Better Surfing
7 exercises that will help improve your Surfing.
1. The Hundred
Benefits:
+Helps build up core strength
+Improves long capacity
+Warms up the body
Set-up: Lie on your back, knees bend, feet flat on the mat legs together. Arms long by your side, palms down.
Execute: Bring your chin to your chest and stretch your arms long. Breath in for 5 and out for 5, pumping your arms long and strong, imaging you are splashing water off the floor. Eye gaze to belly or lower thighs. Lifting your head from your shoulders not your neck. If you feel neck pain keep head down. To advance bring your knees to table top, then out straight to 45 degree angle.
Repeat for 20 breaths /100 pumps.
2. Roll-Ups
Benefits:
+Improve Articulation of the Spine
+Strengthens the Core
+Increases flexibility
Set-up: Lie on your back, with legs out straight. Arms straight up towards the selling, aligned with your shoulders.
Execute: Inhale bring your chin to your chest, roll up and over lifting the abdominals. Eye gaze to your legs, stay lifted with your ribs lifted of your hips. Exhale curl your tailbone under to roll down bone by bone until flat.
Repeat 5 times
3. Saw
Benefits:
+Stretches the Spine
+Strengthens the Core
Set-up: Sit down with legs mat distance apart. Arms open out to the side, in line with shoulders.
Execute: Inhale sit still pressing out through your heals. Lift up out of your hips and twist your spine to the right. Exhale reach ear to knee keep left arm reaches long to the right foot to saw your pinky toe off. Eye gaze to hand behind. Inhale come back to center and repeat exercise to the other side.
Repeat 4 in each direction.
4. Swimming
Benefits:
+Strengthens your Back
+Improves Mobility & Stability
Set-up: Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs fully extended.
Execute:
I have divided the exercise in 3 steps, do not proceed to the next step if you feel any pain in your lower back .
-Preparation: Inhale, lift right arm and left leg off the mat, exhale lower down (alternate).
-SwimmingI: Inhale, lift right arm and left leg off the mat and head and chest, exhale lower back down.
-Full Version: Inhale, lift both arms and legs off the mat and your head and chest, flutter your arms and legs alternating sides.
Repeat
5. Opposite Arm & Leg
Benefits:
+Improves Rotary Stability
+Shoulder and Spine Mobility & Stability
+Balance
Set-up: Kneel on the floor in a quadruped position, knees under your hips and hands under your shoulders, neck in line with your back, eyes facing the floor.
Execute: Inhale, simultaneously extend your right arm and left leg straight out (parallel to the floor), while maintaining a neutral spine and hips aligned. Exhale with control return to the starting position. Repeat exercise to the other side.
Repeat 6 each side
6. Bridges
Benefits:
+Strengthens your gluts
+Improve Articulation of the Spine
Set-up: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor hip distance apart. Arms long by your side, palms down.
Execute: Inhale, lift the hips up high, pushing with your heels and triceps.Exhale to slowly roll down bone by bone (upper back, mid back, lower back, all the way down to your tail bone) once the tailbone touches the mat, inhale and lift the hips again. Make sure your belly is pulled in, hips are not sinking, and your weight is in your shoulders not your neck.
Repeat 10 times
7. Push-Up Series
Benefits:
+Helps build up core strength
+Arm Strength & Stability
Set-up: Stand with good posture in Pilates stance. Arms straight up towards the selling palms facing forward.
Execute: Inhale, bring your chin to your chest, funnel the ribs in, scope the belly curl the tail and begin to roll down towards the mat. Hips are staying align not moving forward, eye gaze towards your legs arms with ears. Continue to roll down pulling the abs in until your hands reach the mat (you can bend the knees if needed). Hands go flat on the mat, walk your out on the mat, three big steps until you are in a Plank.
Plank: Make sure hands are under your shoulders, hips are aligned and not sinking, abs are pulled in, shoulders are sliding down your back, and shoulders are broaden. Your body should be in one long like from your heals to your ears.
Once you have perfected the plank do 3 Push-Ups, after the third one pike up, lifting your hips pulling the abs in, eye gaze to your legs and in three steps walk back without letting the pelvis rock. Exhale, to curl the tailbone under and scope the belly in and begin to roll up to the starting position, without moving the hips .
Repeat 3 times.
Keep a look out for more Pilates routines for Surfers.
Have a specific sport you enjoy, contact us and we can send you a personalized Pilates Routine.