| Stretching and conditioning exercises for bodyboarders |
| Tuesday, 30 August 2011 13:42 |
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Stretching is one of the most important variables in top bodyboarding performance. You can find critical differences after undergoing a stretching plan for a few weeks. Duck dives, vertical drops, huge ARS and Rollos have impact in your body. Injuries come you cannot handle hard landings and tough movements. That's when stretching comes with very positive results. There are many ways to get your body more elastic. If you're willing to spend 30 minutes a day with a few simple stretching exercises, your muscles will deliver completely new performances out in the waves. Pro bodyboarders are always stretching in order to keep a healthy daily habit. Some riders say they can reach stretching routines of up to six hours/day, while watching TV or relaxing in the garden. The good side of it is that you can stretch your body almost everywhere. Get a towel or a simple carpet and apply a few stretching techniques for 15 minutes. Hold the positions for as long as you can. In the first week of physical exercise, you'll notice improvements. Flexibility is the result of constant and sustainable stretching. Your legs and torso need to be used to a conditioning program. So, add a few strength and endurance exercises. For the everyday routine, start by doing a forward and lateral neck stretch, a crossover twist and crossed knee lift. Then advance to 15 abdominal crunches, 10 burpees and 15 forward lunges. Add a 10-minute paddle in a longboard and walk for 20 minutes. Frequency and repetition are critical to a rapid body development. As time goes by, you can jump to a new level with push-ups, bench dip, split squat, stair climbing, mad cat stretches, arm circles, torso rotation, running, underwater swimming and quadriceps stretch. A good nutrition program will boost you to the next level. There's a good guide of what to eat and drink before surfing, here. For a complete strength and conditioning guide, "Fit to Surf" is the ultimate book. You can buy it here.
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