The core. It's called a core for a reason. It's the core to your body. So it makes sense to have a strong core right? Unfortunately, getting a strong core is a little more effort than we all like to put it. But it's totally worth it for the results in your surfing. A stronger core means faster pop-ups, bigger turns with body flexibility, stronger duck dives and faster paddling. Everything you need to improve your surfing.
It's no secret that yoga and surfing go hand in hand, so here are three yoga poses to change your surfing and strengthen the core.
1. Boat Pose
The ultimate core busting yoga pose! Come to sit on the sit bones with knees bent, soles of the feet on your mat. Extend arms out in front of you palms facing up. Lengthen from the crown of the head and engage the core. Slowly lift the feet off your mat keeping the spine long, extend out through the heels, eventually straightening the legs. Squeeze that core! Lift the chest up towards the sky and gaze up to the feet. For an added juicy core bonus, try Boat Pose sit ups, lower the upper body and legs about an inch of the mat and then squeeze knees back into the chest squeezing up.
2. Three Legged Dog
This pose is a great overall body strengthener and lengthener. It engages the arms, legs and core, lengthens the spine, torso and opens the hips. An awesome all body work out. Start on hands and knees, tuck the toes under and send hips up and back eventually straightening the legs. Extend through the spine, keeping the torso long, squeeze the belly in and take the chest toward your feet. Squeeze and firm out through the upper arms and engage the sides of the body. On an inhale, take one leg up to the sky, send energy out through the heel, staying long in the spine, engaging the core. Exhale, lower the leg, repeat on other leg.
3. Dolphin Pose
Similar to Three Legged Dog this is another great overall body strengthener, and focuses on the core and your upper arms. Working into those paddle and pop up muscles. Place both forearms onto your mat shoulder distance apart, push into the palms and hug the upper arms onto the side bodies. Tuck the toes and send the hips up and back, eventually straightening the legs. Keep the spine long and extend through the crown of the head, squeeze the core and extend the chest towards the toes. To challenge yourself even more and get that core working, walk the feet towards the upper arms as far as possible, then walk all the way back until coming into a forearm plank. Walk the feet back to Dolphin and repeat.
Philly teaches yoga in Cornwall, Newquay every Tuesday and Thursday at The Wave Project, for more information head to Yoga In Cornwall.
To book onto our Wild and Free Surf and Yoga holidays click the links below...
Morocco Surf and Yoga Retreat
Costa Rica Surf and Yoga Retreat
Photos Lizzie Churchill for Animal
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