Actually a better way to put it would be….
Can I Improve Balance for Surfing.
And the answer is yes. Many people think that balance is one of those things that you either have or you don’t. How many times have you heard that someone has ‘natural balance’?
I heard it just this morning and, once upon a time, people might occasionally say it about me, but in reality it all comes down to practice.
You probably will have heard the 10,000 hour rule that is often attributed to Malcolm Gladwell that suggests there is no such thing as a ‘natural’ at anything and once examined most ‘natural athletes’ have roughly 10,000 hours of practice behind them.
The same theory applies to any physical activity and while most of us won’t be able to spare the 10,000 hours to master a technique, every little helps if you want to improve balance for surfing.
Any exercise that increases your core strength will have a positive effect on your overall fitness and your balance.
So where do you begin? Well…….
Start with a Single Leg Balance.
A single leg balance will help you work on strengthening your lower body and improving overall balance.
- Stand, keeping your feet hip-width apart, and distribute your weight equally between both legs. Shift your weight to the right and lift your left foot off the floor. Hold this position as long as you can, aiming for around 30 seconds.
- Place your hands on your hips, lift your left leg to the side, and bend your leg back at the knee. Hold this for 30 seconds and then return to the starting position.
- Repeat on the other side. Do three reps on each side and either increase the reps or the time as you feel more comfortable.
Too easy? Try it with your eyes closed.
Single Leg Balance with Ball Toss
Do exactly the same as above but either:
- throw a tennis ball up in the air and catch it
- or throw a tennis ball against a wall and catch it
Keep your eyes open at all times for this one!
Exercises to Increase your Core Strength and Balance
I can sense your eyes are going to glaze over when I mention press ups and sit ups but the following program was suggested to me by Vicky Church from VFit. She is a Muay Thai World Champion who knows a thing or two about fitness and balance (as well as kicking people in the head), so when she talks I listen. I have done this myself every other day as part of my recovery from an appendix op but it’s also great to do to keep your core ticking over when we have a flat spell.
Try this cycle (you can see examples of these press ups at builtlean.com):
- 10 wide press ups (arms straight out from shoulders, elbows at 90°)
- 10 diamond press ups (both hands make the shape of a diamond)
- 10 staggered press ups (one arm higher than the other – 5 on each side)
- 10 tricep press ups (arms tucked in, touching your sides)
- 10 sit ups
Try a couple of reps of the cycle to start with. Each cycle won’t actually take up too much of your time, probably between 2-5 minutes each depending on fitness, but the benefits are staggering. Well worth it.
To start with it may appear that these press ups are only working your arms and shoulders but by the 80th one you’ll be feeling it in your core too – especially if you keep your back straight throughout!
If you find this easy incorporate a swiss ball into the exercises.
Now Get Cracking!
Core strength and balance go hand in hand together – unfortunately you can’t have one without the other but I promise you that if you do this you will see a noticeable improvement in your balance in a week or two. All of the exercises can be performed without any props other than a tennis ball or a swiss ball, they just need a bit of time and commitment.
I hope this has given you a few ideas to be getting in along with. Let me know how you are doing in the comments section below.
[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]Heading SW down the beach towards Hayle, somewhere around Gillick Rock Godrevy becomes Gwithian and the waves will generally start to get a little smaller.
[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]Named after a dog who loved bounding around the dunes here – and is buried on the cliff-top – Peter’s Point is located about ¾ of a mile down the beach from the main car-park at Gwithian. And yes we agree that is a weird name for a dog! Peter’s Point is the stretch of beach between Mussel Rock and Site (no prizes for guessing what can be found on Mussel Rock – some of the best mussels in Cornwall, but only accessible on Spring Low Tides or in a wetsuit). To be honest, in terms of surf quality, this is the worst section of beach in the Bay, with the waves generally really gutless and tending to close out. But it never gets crowded so if you’re just learning the basics then it’s not a bad option. And as the picture testifies, it does have its moments![/themedy_col][/themedy_columns]
[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]People head to Rivermouth at low tide to get barrelled – and not necessarily make it out again. And while it packs a punch at low-tide (due to the river carving out a trench which preserves wave energy), high tide is a different story, with waves tending to wobble in without much power or organisation (although you do sometimes find some decent rights peeling into the river).[/themedy_col][/themedy_columns]
[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]If the swell’s massive and the wind from the S or SW you might be lucky enough to catch firing Hawke’s Point. At high tide waves bounce back off the cliff and into the next one, causing a super-fun left-hand ‘wedge’ that adds extra height and power to the waves. The super-easy, dry hair paddle out off the rocks is an added bonus (so long as you time it right), although getting back in again isn’t so much fun. Getting in/out is more straight-forward at lower tides, when the wedge disappears and right-handers take precedence.[/themedy_col][/themedy_columns]
[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]Tucked away as it is, Carbis Bay only has waves when the swell is either MASSIVE (i.e. big enough to wrap pretty much 180 degrees) or of the short-range northerly variety. In either case Carbis Bay can offer fun, punchy waves at high-tide or mellower, longer rides at lower tides.[/themedy_col][/themedy_columns]
[/themedy_col][themedy_col position=”b”]Sitting below the Tate Gallery, Porthmeor is a semi-sheltered beach that offers good protection from S, SW and, to a lesser extent, W winds. It’s therefore a good spot to check when things start to get a bit sizey/stormy. As with much of the bay, rights tend to be better than lefts. And the further towards the western end of the beach you go the punchier the waves are. Oh yeah and for reasons unknown, Porthmeor breaks better on an outgoing tide. But… being a small-ish beach next to a large town (by Cornish standards) it does tend to get crowded. Although more exposed, with waves therefore usually more ragged, Site/Mexico, back over on the other side of Hayle River, is often, on balance, a better option.[/themedy_col][/themedy_columns]
