Surf Injury Prevention
This is what happens when we surf…
Your upper back hunches over when standing up on your board to keep your projection going forward
Your head migrates forward to keep your projection going forward and paddling for long periods of time shortens the muscles at the back of your neck
The pelvis rotates away from the front leg in standing, causing left to right body imbalances
Repetitive pop-ups are one-sided, causing left to right body imbalances
The trailing knee drops in which creates and inward stress on the knee joint
The trailing ankle drops in which creates an inward stress on the ankle and transfers that stress up to the knee
Repetitive paddling gnarls up the shoulders and neck and over-stresses the shoulder internal rotators; and
Repetitive paddling shrinks your ass and stresses the lower back.
Over time this is very likely to lead to….
A stiff upper spine that hunches over when standing normally day to day.
A head that sits forward and can make you look like a turtle.
A pelvis which rotates away from your front stance leg, and toward your back stance leg, creating stress and shear on the hips and lower back.
Overstressed left of right leg muscles, depending on whether you surf mainly on your front or back stance leg.
A compromised back stance knee which has accumulated years of stress on the inside part of the knee joint.
A compromised back ankle which has accumulated years of stress on the inside part of the knee joint.
Imbalanced shoulder muscles and accumulated stress on shoulder ligaments and shoulder capsules.
A flat and flabby butt and a strained lower back.
To keep yourself in the water for years to come, and surfing better today, get yourself into some surf injury prevention!
Shoulder Clock
Why: For multi-angle, multi-directional shoulder stretching with strengthening. The weight plate helps stretch the arm into position as well as providing a small resistance to ensure each new shoulder position is secured with strengthening. This restores blood flow and mobility to tired, sore surf shoulders.
How to do it: lying on your side with both arms straight out in front of you and the knees bent up to 90 degrees. Rest the head on the ground. Move the top arm up and over your head, holding your shoulder down, and out to the side as you rotate your torso. Continue the circle to end at your hip, then lift the arm over the body to start again. Keep this Zen style – use one slow, full inhalation to bring the arm out to the side, and then exhale to return to the start position.
Oscillating Bench Press
For some serious shoulder stability and reactive strength which is important for targeting the rotator cuff muscles, fast coordination and multi-angle fibers. Surfing is movement in an unpredictable environment.. train accordingly.
When you press, keep your feet pushing into the ground to engage your glutes and core, keep your chest lifted and shoulders held open throughout. As you lower and press, your chest should stay open and your forearms should remain vertical. Note: This video is in double time.
SLRDL (Drinking Bird)
Why: For single leg stability and strength, for balancing out left to right leg strength imbalances and to get a good-looking posterior chain! Your posterior chain is another way of referring to your butt, hamstring and back muscles.
Keep your back straight, lift your chest, keep your shoulders held open and your supporting leg bent.
Russian Twist
Why: for strong mid-section that can generate power and decelerate forces impacting on the spine.
How to do it: sit on a small Swiss ball and then roll out so that your head and upper back is contacting the ball and your hips are bridging up (glutes are working hard to keep the hips extended and the lower back flat). Raise both arms up the the ceiling and slowly rotate your torso to the side to bring the arms parallel to the floor while keeping your hips level with the floor and your hips extended. Inhale to rotate, exhale to return to the centre. Harder than it looks!