How to Stay Active When the Surf is Flat: 5 Fitness Tips for Surfers
As much as we love the ocean, there are days when the surf is flat, the weather isn’t cooperating, or the waves just aren’t breaking the way we’d like. But that doesn’t mean you have to sit around waiting for the next swell. Staying active on land is crucial to maintaining your surfing performance and ensuring you're ready to hit the waves when they return.
Here are 5 effective ways to stay fit and keep your surfing muscles sharp during flat spells:
1. Yoga for Surfers
Yoga is one of the best ways to keep your body flexible and strong when you’re not in the water. Practicing yoga for surfers helps to maintain the flexibility, balance, and core strength that are essential for surfing. Yoga poses like Downward Dog, Plank, and Warrior II target key muscles used in paddling and surfing, while also promoting mental focus and breath control—skills that are invaluable in the ocean.
Try this: Incorporate Sun Salutations into your routine to keep your body limber and your muscles active. You can also explore our post 3 Ways Yoga Will Improve Your Surfing Performance for more yoga tips tailored to surfers.
2. Paddle Training
Just because the ocean is calm doesn’t mean you can’t work on your paddling technique. If you have access to a paddleboard or a flatwater kayak, take advantage of it! Paddleboarding not only mimics the paddling motion used in surfing but also strengthens your shoulders, back, and core. It’s a full-body workout that helps improve your endurance and stability for when you're back in the water.
Bonus: If you're close to a calm lake or river, paddleboarding can also be a great way to stay connected to the water, even when the surf is flat.
3. Strength Training
Strength training is a great way to build the muscles you need for surfing. Focus on exercises that target your upper body, core, and legs—the key areas needed for paddling, popping up, and maintaining balance on the board. Movements like push-ups, planks, squats, and lunges are all excellent for developing the power and stability needed for surfing.
Pro Tip: Include explosive movements like burpees and box jumps to enhance your ability to pop up quickly and stay agile on the board. These exercises will mimic the dynamic nature of surfing, keeping you surf-ready.
4. Cardiovascular Training
Surfing is an intense cardiovascular workout, so it’s essential to keep your heart and lungs in shape during flat spells. Activities like running, cycling, and swimming are excellent alternatives for keeping up your endurance and overall fitness. Swimming, in particular, helps keep your shoulders and lungs conditioned, mimicking the demands of paddling without the waves.
Tip: Try interval training with bursts of high-intensity effort followed by rest periods. This simulates the stop-and-go nature of surfing and improves your ability to handle short, intense bursts of paddling.
5. Skateboarding or Surf Skate
One of the closest things you can do to surfing when the ocean is flat is to hop on a surf skate or skateboard. These boards are designed to mimic the feeling of carving on a wave, helping you practice your foot placement, balance, and turns. Surf skateboarding is particularly useful for improving your surfing technique, especially for practicing cutbacks, carves, and rail-to-rail transitions.
Pro Tip: Find a gentle slope or practice on a flat surface to work on your maneuvers and improve your surfing skills on land.
Stay Fit with MF SEA Activewear
No matter which activity you choose to stay fit, it’s important to have the right gear. MF SEA’s activewear collection is designed to support your body through every movement—whether you're hitting the yoga mat, skateboarding, or going for a run. Made from sustainable materials, our leggings, sports bras, and tops are perfect for both fitness and ocean adventures.
Shop Now: Check out our activewear collection to stay comfortable and stylish during your land-based workouts.
Conclusion: Keep Your Surf Skills Sharp
When the surf is flat, you have a unique opportunity to work on your fitness, balance, and strength on land. By incorporating activities like yoga, paddleboarding, and strength training into your routine, you'll stay active, maintain your surfing muscles, and improve your performance for the next swell. Remember, consistency is key—stay prepared, and you’ll be ready to catch those waves the moment they return!
Join the MF SEA Community: How do you stay fit when the surf is flat? Share your tips and routines with us on social media using the hashtag #StaySurfFit and inspire others to keep their surfing game strong on land.
Here are 5 effective ways to stay fit and keep your surfing muscles sharp during flat spells:
1. Yoga for Surfers
Yoga is one of the best ways to keep your body flexible and strong when you’re not in the water. Practicing yoga for surfers helps to maintain the flexibility, balance, and core strength that are essential for surfing. Yoga poses like Downward Dog, Plank, and Warrior II target key muscles used in paddling and surfing, while also promoting mental focus and breath control—skills that are invaluable in the ocean.
Try this: Incorporate Sun Salutations into your routine to keep your body limber and your muscles active. You can also explore our post 3 Ways Yoga Will Improve Your Surfing Performance for more yoga tips tailored to surfers.
2. Paddle Training
Just because the ocean is calm doesn’t mean you can’t work on your paddling technique. If you have access to a paddleboard or a flatwater kayak, take advantage of it! Paddleboarding not only mimics the paddling motion used in surfing but also strengthens your shoulders, back, and core. It’s a full-body workout that helps improve your endurance and stability for when you're back in the water.
Bonus: If you're close to a calm lake or river, paddleboarding can also be a great way to stay connected to the water, even when the surf is flat.
3. Strength Training
Strength training is a great way to build the muscles you need for surfing. Focus on exercises that target your upper body, core, and legs—the key areas needed for paddling, popping up, and maintaining balance on the board. Movements like push-ups, planks, squats, and lunges are all excellent for developing the power and stability needed for surfing.
Pro Tip: Include explosive movements like burpees and box jumps to enhance your ability to pop up quickly and stay agile on the board. These exercises will mimic the dynamic nature of surfing, keeping you surf-ready.
4. Cardiovascular Training
Surfing is an intense cardiovascular workout, so it’s essential to keep your heart and lungs in shape during flat spells. Activities like running, cycling, and swimming are excellent alternatives for keeping up your endurance and overall fitness. Swimming, in particular, helps keep your shoulders and lungs conditioned, mimicking the demands of paddling without the waves.
Tip: Try interval training with bursts of high-intensity effort followed by rest periods. This simulates the stop-and-go nature of surfing and improves your ability to handle short, intense bursts of paddling.
5. Skateboarding or Surf Skate
One of the closest things you can do to surfing when the ocean is flat is to hop on a surf skate or skateboard. These boards are designed to mimic the feeling of carving on a wave, helping you practice your foot placement, balance, and turns. Surf skateboarding is particularly useful for improving your surfing technique, especially for practicing cutbacks, carves, and rail-to-rail transitions.
Pro Tip: Find a gentle slope or practice on a flat surface to work on your maneuvers and improve your surfing skills on land.
Stay Fit with MF SEA Activewear
No matter which activity you choose to stay fit, it’s important to have the right gear. MF SEA’s activewear collection is designed to support your body through every movement—whether you're hitting the yoga mat, skateboarding, or going for a run. Made from sustainable materials, our leggings, sports bras, and tops are perfect for both fitness and ocean adventures.
Shop Now: Check out our activewear collection to stay comfortable and stylish during your land-based workouts.
Conclusion: Keep Your Surf Skills Sharp
When the surf is flat, you have a unique opportunity to work on your fitness, balance, and strength on land. By incorporating activities like yoga, paddleboarding, and strength training into your routine, you'll stay active, maintain your surfing muscles, and improve your performance for the next swell. Remember, consistency is key—stay prepared, and you’ll be ready to catch those waves the moment they return!
Join the MF SEA Community: How do you stay fit when the surf is flat? Share your tips and routines with us on social media using the hashtag #StaySurfFit and inspire others to keep their surfing game strong on land.
