Health Benefits of Surfing

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By Luciana Oliveira

While relaxing on the beach and basking in the sun is fun, getting into the water for some fun activities is rejuvenating. There are several fun activities one can do when visiting the beach but surfing offers several health benefits both physically and mentally. 

With over 1 million surfers heading to the water at least once every year, it makes you wonder how much positive effect this fun sport has on an individual. Surfing a mega wave is one of the most liberating feelings as you glide over the water into oblivion.

It is an exciting sport that is fun and challenging. If you are looking for ways to improve your surfing skills, the experts at ombe.co can help you achieve your goal. 

So let us dive into some of the great health benefits that you can achieve by surfing.

Improves Mental health

After hours of work during the week, heading to a beach for a relaxing day can be helpful. And surfing is a great solution as it allows you to let yourself loose and free your mind. Just by being outdoors, you will appreciate nature and feel better about yourself. 

When you start feeling better, you will begin to enjoy your surfing even more as it encourages a certain feeling of relaxation and calmness. The release of cortisol in your body helps improve your mood.

Improve Muscle Tone

If you want to remain fit and maintain a good workout without actually going to the gym, head to the beach today. Surfing is an excellent workout as it constantly builds your muscles and tones your body. Surfing works on your shoulders, back, legs, and core all at the same time. 

Surfing is an activity that supports a non-traditional type of body. There is a real need for forward-thinking design in women’s plus size swimwear that is more reflective of a diverse community of surfers.

When you start surfing regularly it will help stay fit and also reduce all the excess fat from your body. Advanced surfers spend hours and hours in the water preparing themselves to catch a huge wave. It helps strengthen a bunch of muscles in your body such as obliques, biceps, lumbar muscles, pectorals, deltoids, triceps, rectus abdominis, and so on. 

Cardiovascular Health

All the paddling during your surfing improves your cardiovascular health as it keeps your heart pumping. The muscle workout is great for your heart as it ensures you stay active and improves the function of your heart. 

A healthy heart will reduce or prevent heart diseases and if you are someone who is suffering from shortness of breath, it can also ease your breathing. When you regularly surf, it will also regulate your blood pressure, reduce the chances of diabetes, and decrease the risk of a stroke.

Balance and Coordination

If you are a beginner, one of the first things you will learn is balance and coordination. It is not an easy task as you will keep falling over and over again. One of the first things we learn before we take our first step as babies are balance and coordination. While we have perfected it on land, surfing allows you to maintain it on the water as well. 

When you stand on your surfboard you will continuously be tossed by the waves, that’s why balance and coordination are a must. What you learn on the water while surfing, you can also imply them in your life and daily routines. 

Increased Flexibility

After balance and coordination, you will learn about flexibility. When you are riding the wave, you will need to twist and turn your body into different body positions to stay on your feet. 

To achieve these yoga-like poses successfully, some surfers practice yoga or pilates which increases flexibility. Being flexible is a great advantage on and off your surfboard as it prevents injuries and also boosts your performance.

Improved Sleep Patterns

Another great benefit about surfing is that it improves your sleep pattern and promotes better sleep. Surfing is a physically demanding sport that feels like an intense workout but doesn’t feel like it. The best thing about surfing is that the exhaustion helps you sleep easier and stay asleep longer. 

Regular surfers tend to have better sleep patterns because melatonin levels increase in your body, a hormone that is responsible for healthy sleep. A good night’s sleep will strengthen your body and repair your muscles from your surfing session. 

Soak Up Vitamin D

The most obvious benefit of surfing in the sun is that your body will be able to absorb huge amounts of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very beneficial for your body as it can keep you healthy, and also contributes to improving your mood from stress and depression. 

If your body lacks Vitamin D, you can consider surfing as it is a fun way to give your body the vitamin it requires. It also regulates calcium in your body which keeps your teeth and bones strong. People with vitamin D deficiency are susceptible to more diseases such as rickets, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and osteomalacia, a born deformity.  

Ready to Catch the Waves?

The aforementioned points are just some of the health benefits that you can receive today. There are several surfing tips out there that can improve your surfing experience, a qualified coach is the best solution, to help you ride the waves smoothly and easily.

With thousands of surfers visiting beaches every day it also gives you an opportunity to socialize and meet people of the surfing community. 

So get your board ready and start paddling before the waves hit you. 

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Luciana joined our team as a mum blogger in 2020. A dedicated mum to a lively daughter and a dog, Luna, Luciana brings authenticity and passion to every post. Her expertise in parenting and lifestyle topics offers practical, relatable advice for real-life situations.

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