The synergy between yoga and surfing runs deep, as both practices demand presence and foster a spiritual connection with the environment.
Yoga strengthens and soothes muscle groups heavily utilized during surfing, and its emphasis on breath control and flexibility can improve your performance.
By developing a yoga practice, you invite a sense of calm and centeredness that is crucial to tackling challenging swells.
Why Is Yoga Good For Surfing
Yoga enhances your surfing experience by improving flexibility, balance, and strength.
Each asana targets specific areas crucial for surfing, whether it be paddling endurance or the stability needed for maneuvering waves.
Warm-Up Poses for Paddling
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog): Begins to stretch the shoulders and hamstrings, which prepares you for effective paddling.
- Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose): Opens the chest and strengthens the lower back, aiding in the paddling motion.
Balancing Asanas for Surf Stability
- Vrksasana (Tree Pose): Improves balance and focuses your mind, which are vital for maintaining stability on the board.
- Utthita Parsvakonasana (Extended Side Angle Pose): Enhances leg strength and stability, improving your ability to ride the surf.
Flexibility Training for Surfers
- Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Pigeon Pose): Increases hip flexibility, allowing for deeper squats and turns on the board.
- Malasana (Squat Pose): Stretches your lower back, hips, and inner thighs, promoting fluid movement transitions.
Strengthening Surf-Specific Yoga Poses
- Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog): Builds strength in the arms and wrists, supporting prolonged paddling sessions.
- Chaturanga Dandasana: Strengthens arms, shoulders, and core, essential for powerful paddling and control on the waves.
Yoga Sequences and Routines
Incorporating yoga into your surfing regimen enhances flexibility, balance, and core strength. Specific sequences and routines are designed to warm up your muscles before surfing and aid recovery after you’ve hit the waves.
Pre-Surf Dynamic Yoga Flows
Dynamic yoga flows, such as vinyasa or sun salutations, are essential before you surf to awaken your body and improve circulation.
Focus on incorporating balancing poses to enhance your stability for when you’re on the board. simple flow might include:
- Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) – A traditional warm-up routine to build heat and synchronize movement with breath.
- Phalakasana (Plank Pose) – To strengthen your core and arms, holding for a few breaths.
- Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose) – For shoulder stability and core engagement, switching sides to maintain balance.
- Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) – Opens the hip flexors and prepares the legs for the pop-up movement in surfing.
Remember to incorporate deep breathing, or pranayama, to maintain a steady flow of energy and focus.
Post-Surf Recovery Sequences
After surfing, it’s important to bring tranquility back to your muscles and mind. Yin yoga or slower-paced sequences help to release tension and promote tissue recovery.
Your routine could include:
- Gentle twists – To alleviate tension in the spine and aid digestive processes.
- Forward folds – Encouraging hamstrings and lower back stretches.
- Restorative poses – Such as legs up the wall or supported bridge pose, which calm the nervous system.
Regular Yoga Practice for Ongoing Improvement
Regular, non-surf-specific yoga sequences contribute to overall strength and flexibility, crucial for surfing.
Incorporate a balanced routine throughout the week that includes:
- Pranayama – Develops lung capacity and breath control.
- Balance-focused poses – To mimic the demands of surfing.
- Vinyasa classes – For a holistic approach that combines strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular health.
By building a consistent practice, you’ll notice ongoing improvements in your surfing performance.
Yoga And Surfing: The Ultimate Duo
Both yoga and surfing benefit the body and mind. Most notably are the following areas:
Your Strength
Undoubtedly, it’s easier to surf the stronger you are. Getting out in the water requires serious upper body and leg power.
Practising the art of yoga will support these areas. Some of the poses in yoga will build your core, perhaps better than working out everyday at the gym!
Your Flexibility
Learning to relax and stretch correctly whilst taking part in yoga certainly will help in your flexibility.
Being flexible while surfing can help with your bottom turn and hopping up on the board.
It will also help the muscles after a good surf to recover – meaning you’ll be less likely to injure yourself.
Your Balance
It goes without saying that balance is vital when surfing. Yoga can help you with your balance through the practise of balancing with poses. It will also help with focusing your mind – focussed minds can focus on surfing!
Your Breathing
Fundamental in yoga. The right breathing technique will also assist with your focus on the waves.
Your Mental Health
Yoga brings your mind and your body together as one. This connection will bring you closer to your goals by making you less stressed and bringing your body to relaxation.
The 10 Best Yoga Poses For Surfers
Yoga is complex and it can be difficult to know what poses will work for you when surfing. Let’s take a look at some of the best poses that could help.
Supported Headstand (The Salamba Sirsasana)
The practise will require you to remain upright whilst upside down. Put the support on your forearms and head. This pose will strengthen your core and calm your mind.
The Lotus (The Padmasana)
A pose mainly for the mind, but it does give a support to your lower back – essential when surfing. It requires you to sit cross-legged with your feet on your thighs.
At first, it might be uncomfortable or painful but with practise, you’ll get there and feel the full benefits.
The Twist (Bharadvajasana)
Quite simple this one. Sit down with your legs crossed and twist to the left. This assists your core and builds muscles in your lower back. Really good pose to get into yoga with, due to its simplicity.
The Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
One of the most recognizable poses in yoga. Hands and feet are placed on the floor and lift your back up, in the shape of an acute angle. Great for your core and upper body strength.
The Hero (Supta Virasana)
This pose involves getting on your knees, putting your arms behind you and gripping your toes. Now, stretch all the way back.
This will give your legs and torso a good stretch. All aspects of yoga (breathing, strength etc.) are brought into play here.
The Warrior 2 (Virabhadrasana)
This pose is another highly identifiable yoga classic. Bend your right knee and stretch the left leg back. Your arms need to be stretched out, one in front of you and one behind.
Most of your body is stretched here and it has the added benefit of helping with back pains or discomforts.
The Seat (Paschimottanasana)
Another basic one. Sit down with your legs stretched out in front of you. Then bend your torso with your hands on your toes. This will give your legs a real stretch and strengthen your muscles in your back.
The Sphinx (Salamba Bhujangasana)
This starts with you lying on the floor flat. Then, put your hands down with your elbows slightly bent.
Push up from this position with your head looking directly up. Of course, this position will look like a sphinx.
The Camel (Ustrasana)
This position will require some practise to get right. Get onto your knees and lean all the way back, putting your hands on your toes.
Your head should be looking at the ceiling now. This pose will stretch your abdominal muscles and give your whole body a real test.
The Chair (Utkatasana)
Simple but effective. Stand and then slightly bend your knees. Now, stretch your arms all the way up either side of your head. This will resemble a chair shape. A good breathing exercise and great for the heart.
Mindfulness and Breathing Techniques
Incorporating mindfulness and breathing techniques into your surfing routine can dramatically enhance your endurance and focus on the waves.
Understanding how to control your breath, or prana, is vital to maintaining high energy levels and a clear, present mind while surfing.
Breathwork for Surf Endurance
Breathing exercises, known as pranayama, are essential in building your surf endurance.
Here are two key breathwork techniques to integrate into your surf training:
Ocean Breath (Ujjayi Pranayama):
- Inhale deeply through your nose, slightly constricting the back of your throat to create a gentle hissing sound.
- Exhale with the same constricted throat to mimic the sound of the ocean. This technique aids in maintaining focus and energy control.
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana):
- Sit comfortably and hold your right thumb over your right nostril.
- Inhale through your left nostril, then close it with your fingers.
- Open your right nostril and exhale slowly.
Repeat the process, alternating between nostrils. This practice harmonizes both sides of the brain, promotes balance, and readies you for the mental demands of surfing.
Meditative Practices for Focus on the Waves
To heighten your presence and focus on the water, incorporate meditative practices into your routine:
- Guided Visualization: Spend a few minutes visualizing your surf session, imagining yourself catching waves with precision and grace.
- Mindfulness Meditation: Sit quietly before entering the water, focusing on your breath. As thoughts come, acknowledge them and let them pass without judgment. This cultivates a state of mindfulness that translates into a more focused presence on the board.
Meditation not only sharpens your mental focus; it also prepares you to react intuitively to the dynamic conditions of the sea.
Yoga Before Surfing
Doing some yoga before surfing will be of great help. Getting some training for your lung capacity before exerting serious energy is massively beneficial.
Not just that, if you’re a beginner or have any sort of anxiety about the water – yoga can calm you right down before getting out on the board.
It is recommended to start with some basic breathing exercises. In and out. If you’re doing yoga right before hitting the waves, it is better to not do any poses that are too challenging or that you are not used to.
Best poses for pre-surfing are:
- Warrior 2
- Downward facing dog
- Plank (pushup position with your elbows on the floor)
- The twist
Yoga After Surfing
This is key to preventing injuries caused by fatigue and muscle use. A post-yoga session can help you relax, reflect and rejuvenate.
There are some great poses to help with this:
- Meditation (sat cross-legged with your eyes closed. Listen to the waves)
- The lotus
- Broken branch (lying face down with your right arm over to the left, your left arm over to the right)
Vinyasa Yoga For Surfing
Vinyasa yoga is effectively “flow” yoga. Going from pose to pose.
This is great practise for surfers who want to improve their movements on the board – going from paddling to standing requires a lot of strength, balance and discipline.
There are some great flow programmes out there – some of which are done at surfer camps.
Let’s take you through an example sequence that can improve your balance and strength.
Note: Before every pose; remember to breathe! Inhale… exhale.
- The standing twist: Stand up and move your arm straight up whilst slightly twisting your hips
- Plank
- Downward facing dog
- Sphinx
- Low lunge (one knee down, other leg spread far)
- Plank
- Downward facing dog
- Sphinx
- Low lunge
- Warrior 2 twist
- Repeat
These poses are fantastic exercise and will improve your general fitness for surfing – but this particular sequence is perfect training for surfing pop-up.
For those that have been surfing, you’ll know the sheer dynamic strength and power required to go from a horizontal position and pop up to a standing position.
Using A Yoga/Swiss/Exercise Ball
There are a variety of exercises that can improve your body and mind ready for surfing and a great one is the use of the yoga ball.
Here are some methods:
- The Jackknife: Move into a push-up position with your feet and toes on the ball. Move the ball with your feet closer to your chest. This will improve your core strength and concentration.
- The Plankx1: Get into a push-up position and plank with the ball. Your muscles will strengthen all over as your body fights the urge to fall off
- The Plankx2: Same method but use only 1 hand
- Dumbbell Challenges: Hold two dumbbells and lie flat on the ball. Lift the dumbbells from one side of your body to the other. Your core is being worked with your upper body and your lower body is also getting stronger as it tries to stay in position.
- Another idea is to kneel on the ball (after you’ve got your composure) and slowly move the dumbbells at the same time above your shoulders.
- Bird Dogs: You’ve got one knee on the ball, your other leg is stretched to the back (off the ball.) You have one hand on the ball and the other arm is stretched straight in front of you (like a Superman.)
What Are The Other Exercises?
Along with yoga, you could opt to use an indo-board (balancing on a board) or think of typical core exercises you might find in your local gym or health club.
Core exercises are by far the most beneficial for surfing. Great core exercises that a lot of surfers swear by are:
- Squats
- Push-ups (this is actually a crucial one. If you can perfect a push-up, you’ll invariably improve your pop-up)
- Dumbbell twist
- Bungee twist with one arm
- Bear crawls (you get on your hands with your feet as close to your chest as you can. Crawl up and down an area. This takes all your bodyweight and is a fantastic core exercise)
- Kettlebell lunge/squat
The Synergy of Surfing and Yoga
Yoga enhances your balance and strength, which are essential for peak surfing performance. It fosters endurance and mindfulness, proving to be a pivotal practice for surfers.
Benefits of Yoga for Surfers
- Balance: Improve your stability on the board with yoga poses like Tree Pose and Warrior Pose that enhance your proprioception—a critical aspect of surfing.
- Strength: Yoga sequences, particularly those involving Downward Dog and Upward Facing Dog, build core and upper body strength, which is vital for paddling and maneuvering waves.
Yoga’s Role in Enhancing Surfing Skills
- Endurance: Engaging in extended yoga sessions can boost your physical endurance, allowing you to surf for longer periods without fatigue.
- Mindfulness: Through focused breathing and meditation practices in yoga, you cultivate a heightened state of mindfulness, which sharpens your concentration and reaction times on the waves.
Anatomy of a Surfer
In surfing, your body is your most valuable asset. Understanding the anatomy and the muscle groups engaged during surfing is crucial to improve your performance on the waves.
Key Muscle Groups for Surfing
- Upper Body: Your arms, chest, and shoulders are pivotal while paddling and during the pop-up phase. The deltoids, pectoral muscles, and latissimus dorsi work in tandem to generate paddling power and lift your body.
- Core Strength: Stability on the board comes from a strong core, encompassing the abdominal muscles and the lower back. These muscles help in maintaining balance and in performing maneuvers.
- Lower Body: The legs, from your hips down to your calves, are constantly at work. Your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles provide the force necessary for carving and maintaining positions on the board.
Understanding Joint Mobility and Stability
- Shoulders and Hips: These joints require a balance between mobility for a full range of motion and stability to prevent injuries. Improved flexibility can be beneficial for smoother movements.
- Spine and Neck: Surfing demands a limber spine able to extend into backbends while paddling and take on rotational stresses when carving turns. Your neck also needs flexibility to maintain a visual line on the wave.
- Knees and Ankles: Both joints need to be strong yet flexible. Your knees and ankles absorb the shock and adjust to the changing wave surfaces, aiding in overall balance and board control.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, you’ll find targeted answers to some of the most common questions about integrating yoga into your surfing practice to boost performance, flexibility, and injury prevention.
What are the best yoga poses for surfers to improve balance?
To enhance your balance on a board, focus on poses such as Warrior III, Half Moon, and Tree Pose. These asanas strengthen your legs and core, which are critical for maintaining stability while surfing.
How does yoga enhance surfing performance?
Yoga improves your surfing by increasing your flexibility, core strength, and balance. It also hones your focus and mental clarity, allowing for better concentration and flow on the waves.
What yoga sequence is recommended for surfers to increase flexibility?
A yoga sequence that includes poses like Downward Facing Dog, Cobra Pose, and Upward Facing Dog is beneficial. These stretches target your back, shoulders, and hamstrings, promoting greater flexibility for maneuvering on the water.
Can practicing yoga help prevent injuries common in surfing?
Yes, regularly engaging in yoga can help prevent common surf-related injuries by improving your overall flexibility and strength, particularly in the shoulders, back, and core. Poses like Child’s Pose and Cat-Cow are gentle yet effective for maintaining joint health.
How often should surfers practice yoga for optimal benefits?
For the best results, aim to practice yoga 3 to 5 times per week. Consistency is key in reaping the benefits of increased strength, balance, and flexibility.
Are there any yoga programs designed specifically for beginner surfers?
Yes, there are yoga programs tailored for beginner surfers that focus on the fundamentals of yoga while addressing the specific needs of surfing. Look for classes or online tutorials that specify a surf-centric approach to ensure the program is appropriate for your level.
Summary
We’ve seen just how inter-linked surfing and yoga are. The same disciplines and fitness are required to be a great surfer, as it is to be a yogi.
It’s important to stay fit both physically and mentally and if that improves your surfing – that’s a huge bonus right? Have fun hitting the waves!