If you had to pick the fittest 5 athletes in the world, who would you pick? Your choice would probably be a reflection of the sports you like and how you define fitness. Boxers pick boxers, runners pick distance runners, weightlifters pick massive people. Personally I have always associated strength with fitness and so wouldn’t necessarily pick the Brownlee brothers (serious triathletes for those playing at home). I tend to think of surfers as being up there, and I’m not sure how many else would.

As a mix of strength, speed and endurance surfing covers all the bases. And as the sport has exploded into professionalism, the training programs of the elite guys are impressive. The requirements of the sport in terms of movement, control and power demand a high functioning system.

“Core stability” is a term everyone has heard of, but it gives you the idea that the trunk must stay still. Ever seen a surfing comp where the surfers don’t bend or twist their back? Ever seen any sport where you don’t bend or twist your back? The idea is that the body and brain are conditioned to withstand the forces involved and have been trained in efficiency and durability. That’s what core stability actually means – it should be called “force transfer efficiency” but no way you could sell a gym class with that title!

Surfers have that in spades, plus muscle power, aerobic endurance, speed and flexibility – pretty much every attribute an athlete could have.

Here at Newcastle Performance Physio we treat all our surfers like pro’s – assessment, treatment and full conditioning programs to get you back in the water and staying there.

Until next time, share with your surfer buddies

Dave