We hear a lot about ‘mobility’ but what does it actually mean and how will it help our surfing?
Mobility is the ability to move freely and easily – it’s about being able to move your body with control through a range of motions, without being restricted. It’s having strength within your flexibility.
Improving your mobility is crucial for surfing because it directly affects your performance, safety, and overall experience in the water.
Here’s 8 reasons why you should improve your mobility for surfing:
1. Enhanced Manoeuvrability
Surfing requires dynamic and quick movements, from paddling to popping up on the board, carving, and executing manoeuvres. Improved mobility allows you to move your body more freely and fluidly, enhancing your ability to perform effectively.
2. Increased Range of Motion
Surfing involves a wide range of motions in the upper and lower body. Good mobility ensures that you can execute these movements with ease and without strain. This is especially important for executing powerful turns and maintaining control on the wave.
3. Better balance and stability
Maintaining balance on a constantly moving surface like a surfboard requires flexibility and stability. Improved mobility in your joints and muscles helps you maintain better equilibrium, reducing the chances of falling off the board. Win!
4. Injury Prevention
Proper mobility can help prevent injuries by ensuring that your muscles and joints move properly. Improved flexibility reduces the risk of muscle strains, joint sprains, and other common surfing-related injuries that will keep you out of the water.
5. Efficient Paddling
Paddling is a fundamental aspect of surfing, and it requires a lot of shoulder and upper back mobility. With better shoulder and thoracic mobility, you’ll be able to paddle more efficiently, catch more waves, and stay out in the lineup longer.
6. Faster Progression
Beginners will find it challenging to adapt to the movements required for surfing. Improved mobility accelerates your learning curve by allowing you to grasp the necessary techniques more easily.
7. Comfort and Endurance
Surfing is physically demanding, and spending long hours in the water can make you sooo tired. When your body is more mobile, you’re likely to experience less fatigue, which translates to longer and more enjoyable surf sessions.
8. Confidence and Fun
Surfing is not only about technical skills; it’s also about enjoying the experience and having fun. When you feel comfortable and confident in your body’s ability to move, you’ll likely have a more positive and enjoyable time in the water.
Give Surf Specific Mobility a Go on SurfGirl Premium:
Full Body Surf Ready Mobility
Try this full body surf mobility session workout with Emilia. Mobility workouts are essential for surfers as they help to prevent injury, improve balance and stability, increase arm and shoulder mobility for paddling and enhance overall manoeuvrability when you’re surfing.
Paddle Specific Surf Mobility
Do you think that a lack of overhead mobility may be holding you back when you’re paddling? In this video, Emilia explains the importance of working on our full body mobility to improve our surfing, with an emphasis on the upper body and thoracic spine for paddle specific training. Incorporate this into your routine and you’ll feel a difference, we promise!
Mobility for Surfers
Join Tee in this mobility sequence, which will limber up your body and help you to feel more free next time you’re surfing.
Full Body Mobility for Pop Ups
Looking to improve your pop up & level up your surfing? Try out our 25 min full body mobility flow with Emilia. Popping up to your feet requires good level of mobility in the hips and flexibility in the hamstrings, elements that are often neglected in our training. Follow along this session and learn how to work on these plus a whole lot more!
