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Surfing and Stretching
Compiled By: Stuart Lee (B.Sc Physiotherapy)
E-mail: littlestuster@gmail.com
Cell: 072 683 7955
Stretching is something that we, as bodyboarders, do not very
often do and its benefits are seldom very well understood. Even
as a qualified Physiotherapist, I often find myself succumbing
to the intense pull of the ocean and giving no thought to the
potential injury I could be causing myself by not preparing properly.
The sight of a crazy, wedging, spitting bowl doesn't exactly elicit
thoughts of stretching on the beach now does it?
The thing is, stretching is crucial in preventing injuries and
lifting your level of riding by improving one's flexibility. Stretching,
however, is not enough. It needs to be done correctly! I see so
many people rocking up at the beach and merely doing a couple
of squats and fairy flaps of the arms before going out. This does
little more than to appease one's conscience and very little,
as far as physiological benefits of stretching goes. In fact,
you are far more likely to injure yourself in this way, than if
you were to just paddle out without doing anything in the first
place.
The guide that follows is a very basic outline of how one should
perform a stretching program. As with anything new, it needs to
be included in your daily schedule, in order to reap the necessary
benefits. Benefits such as less pain after surfing, getting that
invert super tweaked and scooping like a beast on the heaviest
take-offs.
Interested?
Read on!
Stretching FYI
- Stretching should never
just be done without an adequate warm-up. This would result
in injury to muscle tissue, as one stretches the fibres beyond
their yield points i.e. as muscle fibres warm up, they are
able to gradually stretch further.
- Warm up should just be
2-3 minutes of light activity to raise a slight sweat. A jog
down the cliff or across the beach at Koeél Bay would be sufficient.
- Stretching never involves
pain. One should only stretch to the point where you feel
a slight tension in the muscle. This is sufficient.
- Do not bounce up and down
when doing the stretch, as it may lead to injury.
- Each stretch is held for
20 seconds and must be repeated 3 times. Trust me - it's not
just a bunch of numbers pulled out of a hat! It's all scientifically
researched and renders the best results!
- Keep your breathing as
normal as possible. Don't hold your breath while stretching.
- After surfing, cool down
by taking a gentle jog back up the beach and repeating the
stretches of those areas that may be feeling tight.
- Following these guidelines
will allow you to experience less pain after surfing, improve
the performance and ease of your moves and help prevent future
injuries.
- Make the performance of
these stretches part of your sport. It may be more beneficial
for you to do these stretches at home on a daily basis than
before you hit your local beachie.
Stretching Program
The following basic stretches
have been selected with the bodyboarder in mind. Obviously, there
are numerous stretches that can be performed but each rider needs
to develop a program according to their specific needs. A DK rider
may want to focus more on his lower limbs and pelvis. For practicality,
I have chosen five basic stretches for a predominantly prone rider.
Should you have any further
queries please feel free to contact me.
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