Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP), a Craze or Beneficial Workout

Often you look out into the ocean on flat days and see people in the water standing on longboards.  Don´t they see its flat.  But most people can´t help but stare to see what exactly is happening out there; sometimes hundreds of yards off shore. Unlike surfing, SUP is much easier and has tons of benefits to surfing big waves.

Originating in Hawaii, SUP is an ancient form of surfering.  And in recent years, re-invented by Laird Hamilton and Co. on days at home where the waves were only 20-25 feet.  ONLY 20-25 feet!  But yes, the form of SUP was highly beneficial to big wave riders like Hamilton to build endurance, stability, and core strength to take on what has been searched for for hundreds of years; ¨The 100ft Wave.¨ Events like Quiksilver XL bring out all big wave boarders hoping for that one wave to take the title.  But for the rest of us, our heads are intact and we would never imagine taking on a wave that size.  Even a 10th of that size has the possibilities of bodily damage.

So what use is SUP if your not a big wave rider?  Other than being able to see waves as they build in the distance where other surfers can´t see past the wave in front, giving you the ability to catch more smaller waves as they approach by getting in the lineup before hand. 

First, SUP builds endurance, like previously mentioned.  The longer the session the more endurance workout that takes place in both the upper and lower body.  Obviously build up to hour long sessions as it is quite the workout. 

Second, stability.  SUP builds stability in the ankle joints, helping to stabilize the body through balance.  Think about your next surfing session and your ankles are like jell-o.  Probably wouldn´t be a good surfing day.  Next to stabilize is the knees and hips.  Knee injuries are common in surfing, particularly short board surf as it is more extreme in movements.  And hips to stabilize throughout turns and shifts in body weight.  Think of your lower body as a metal chain, one kink in the chain and the chain falls apart.  Now visualize the body as the same.  The small muscles in the body are far more needed than the larger ¨beach body¨ ones.  Although they are important as well.

Third, core strength.  Now before I go off on a rant, there is no such thing as core.  Its a made up word to popularize exercising and it has been areas under developed that needed a name to go along with exercise.  Core is basically inner and outer abdominals and spinal stabilizers.  The strength of the core helps the body equilibralize and balance the body in extreme movements.  Like surfing for example. 

And last, its a GREAT workout for the entire body. Its a old way to make exercising more fun in the modern day.  Grab some boards and paddles, a few friends, and lake or ocean, and paddle away.  You can have conversations and not even feel like you worked out.  Well until the next day.  But changing your daily workout is a way to increase muscle strength and growth while bursting through any plateus´ from the usual workout routine.
So next time your looking for a workout, check your local surf shop.  They´ll have everything you need.

Surfing: Muscle Cramping and How to Avoid It

When the surf is up, that is the time when we spend most of our day in the water. One hour, two hours, sometimes even an entire day we spend in the water making the best of every wave. But for many of us, there comes that time while in the water we begin to cramp. It may be just the calve, or the hamstring, or even the lower back starting to spasm. First thought to many of us is: Stretch. But that is not entirely true to say to avoid any further spasms or severe cramping.

So what causes cramping and what are some common solutions to avoid it in the future???

Great Article: Yoga as Physical Therapy

I encourage everyone to read this article about how Yoga Therapy may help prevent and treat Orthopedic Problems!
Now remember, yoga combined with other forms of medical modalities will accelerate desired outcome.

Click here for the article: NY TIMES

Live 2 Surf, Surf 2 Live

JOEL PARKINSON:
"I SURF BECAUSE... THERE'S ALWAYS ONE WAVE THAT MAKES A SESSION"

What drives you to continue to surf; or take the first step to learning. What was the feeling you had when you caught your first wave?

Let us know! We would like to hear everyones views on their experiences.

-Pro Surfing Company
www.prsurfing.com
facebook page: Pro Surfing Company
twitter: PrSurfingGC
mobile: +34 628 104 025
email: info@prsurfing.com

Coconut Water: Hangover Remedy?

   Coconut water's headiest claim is that it is rich in potassium: a typical serving offers 569 mg, which is almost twice the amount in a banana. This mineral helps regulate blood pressure by counteracting the stimulating effects of sodium, of which it contains only 160 mg, and this in turn helps to prevent related issues like stroke, heart attack and hangovers. Compare this to 14 fl. oz. of Gatorade, which contains 'only' 52.5 mg of potassium and 192.5 mg of sodium. 
   Coconut water has the five electrolytes that are already in our bodies. This includes potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium and calcium. All of these electrolytes help in certain functions of our body. Also, being a natural health drink, coconut water does not contain any preservatives, fats or cholesterol. This makes it a good drink for everybody regardless of your conditions.  
Read full article here: 

Huffington Post

Coconut Water Life

Surfing On One Leg! : Exercise Tip of the Week

Yes its true, surfing is done on one leg, well actually two but let me explain.  When surfing there is no point of equal balance on both legs, therefore, you are actually surfing on one leg at a time but alternating pressure and stability throughout to counter balance your stance.  So how can surfers improve their stance and strength while surfing??

The answer: when exercising, start to implement single leg squatting exercises into your routine.  By moving from a bilateral (double leg squatting stance) to a single leg squat, subsequently you are improving hip and knee stabilization.  While the total load on double leg squats, ie. weight is heavier, the total load on the legs is actually higher during single leg strengthening exercises.  Many of these simple exercises must be taken in progression, meaning slowly increasing range of the squat as well as weight.  It is recommended for beginners to try using only body weight before advancing.  Remember, micro progression leads to increased outcome.

Keeping things simple, start with this basic exercise during your leg workouts and keep posted for more progressive movements to increase your surfing ability.

Bulgarian Split Squat:

Welcome to Pro Surfing Company Blog!

WELCOME!!!
I hope you will enjoy the experience and influential information to help your surfing, body, mind and life.  We will be regularly posting tips to help advance your surfing; including exercises to increase strength and flexibility, nutrition and recovery for after training or surfing sessions.

Please visit back often and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to receive new posts directly.

Pure Vida!

- Pro Surfing Company
  www.prsurfing.com