Just because you're not in the water doesn't mean you can't be practicing your surfing skills. Discover the best fitness gear for your surf training program.
If you're an active surfer, staying in shape is not difficult.
Combine a healthy diet with a few non-surfing physical exercises, and you'll always be fit to go, even in the most challenging ocean conditions.
The goal is to maintain or improve your overall strength and flexibility levels so that the most significant surf-related movements - duck diving, paddling, and popping up on a surfboard - become effortless.
There are several workout exercises that you can do at home or in the office. It's all about getting your arms, legs, and back ready for the upcoming (winter) swell.
Find out what suits you. Here's a list of affordable pieces of equipment that will work out the core muscles used in surfing:
Skateboard
Skateboarding mimics some of surfing's key movements and motions. Whether you're cruising or actively pumping the skateboard like a surfboard, you'll be working out your legs and your hip flexors.
Get it: Amazon.com
BOSU Balance Trainer
The BOSU (Both Sides Up) ball is an inflated rubber hemisphere attached to a rigid platform that can be flipped over, providing stable and unstable balance training options. An all-around tool for body and cardio exercises.
Get it: Amazon.com
Dumbbells
The dumbells are a fundamental piece of fitness equipment. You can use them for performing several exercises: push-ups, bench presses, alternated bicep curls, shoulder presses, tricep kickbacks, lateral raises, and many others.
Get it: Amazon.com
Surf Balance Trainer
The surf balance trainer emulates the feel of surfing and allows you to train a few surf tricks. It's the perfect tool for improving the balance on a surfboard.
Get it: Amazon.com
Slackline
The slackline is the ideal surf training gear for those who enjoy working out outdoors. Slacklining has multiple benefits - it is a full-body workout, improves your core strength and balance, and exercises your foot and ankle articulations.
Get it: Amazon.com
Twist Board
The twist board, also known as a rotational disc, simulates conditions you find in the ocean. It allows you to exercise on unstable surfaces and improves your balance on the surfboard and waves.
Get it: Amazon.com
Swiss Ball
The Swiss ball, also known as the exercise ball, helps surfers maintain a good posture by engaging the stabilizer muscles. It lets you train your abs, arms, legs, and torso.
Get it: Amazon.com
Learn how to get a surfer's body and explore the best surf fitness books.
SurferToday may earn a small commission from affiliate program links in this article - at no additional cost to you. We only review and recommend products that we buy, receive, or select from a carefully curated list.
Words by Luís MP | Founder of SurferToday.com