The importance of fitness in surfing // Healthy habits for a healthier practice

Hey there! Today I'm so stoked to introduce to you a dear friend of mine. We met in the water some six years ago, when I could barely stand up on my board and he basically saw my whole process of getting addicted to surfing. Even if our lives took different paths, we still enjoy a good session together whenever we can!

Andrea Lamuerte is an Italian surfer, osteopath, surf coach and personal trainer.
He is ambassador for SORT OF LOOSER, an Italian beach and surfwear brand based in Genova, and he works in Portugal during the summer season. During the rest of the year he's training surfers with his first city Surftraining projects (Glide Surftraining Torino and Roofless surf academy).

Today he is here to tell us more about the importance of good exercising before and after surfing - something that the most of us (guilty!) don't take into much care ;)
Whether you are a PRO OR FREE SURFER it's important to take care of your health!

Beach Bum era and crazy surf sub-culture were pretty cool, I know. Maybe the dream of surfing perfect Californian point breaks while completely high - like surf legends such as Alex Knost or Joel Tudor did, trying to live on their skin what surfing history was - would make us feel pretty cool. 

But, you know what, when any of us didn’t even know what a surfboard was, Alex was already gliding on that crazy points and his sensibility on his board was something that we can’t even imagine.

Let’s be realistic guys, genius are exceptions, not rules. Our life is different, and it’s not the 70s anymore!

Surfing style, culture and surfboards evolution from that time are timeless, but obviously I’m talking about the surfing approach. 

And let's admit that only Alex knows how his back feels like when he wakes up in the morning!

Surfing is a really healthy activity. It strengthens deep muscles of torso, it improves balance, proprioception and keeps us alive!

But, for example, surfing is also an asymmetrical activity, back muscles work always in contraction getting shorter and back leg position is not exactly the physiological line mother nature made our legs for.

We can ignore this or just try to take into account surfing imbalances. Work, train, and stretch them for keeping healthy and going on surfing longer and better (which is the most important thing, right?).

So sleep well, don’t go for a hangover surfing, rest and let your body recover.
Practice yoga, stay flexible and give your body space enough to react to unexpected stress.
If you’re a weekend warrior, try to train during the week at least twice. A five hours surfing after a sedentary week in front of your laptop is NOT healthy! Prepare your body for that stress with a good functional training.

Plan your training in function of your surfing session.
Dedicate five minutes of your post-surf routine to do some stretching exercises.
More or less this is what athletes do for pushing their limits. Not with the goal of landing giant airs but just with the idea of taking care of their body in order to be more prepared for surfing.

Whatever surfing could mean to you - a lifestyle, a sport, or a weekend hobby: live it healthy.

Don't forget to check Andrea's work on his Instagram page


Photos: Moka Surfhouse, Yogini: Dorotea Zafferani