Surfing

Five Benefits of Surfing

Not everyone has the advantage of living near an ocean and being able to go surfing any day of the week, but for those who do, it is a tremendous opportunity to get fit and stay healthy. It’s a fun recreational activity that has a culture all its own, and it offers a number of health and fitness benefits just like gaming at best real money online pokies.

The initial benefits of surfing are obvious—old fashioned fun, time spent in nature, physical fitness quickly come to mind no matter if you’re just learning to surf or have been at it for years already. We’ve taken a deep dive into the pros of surfing and the science behind the exciting sport.

SURFING HELPS ALLEVIATE STRESS

The United States Navy has begun investing money into research on the therapeutic results of surfing. They found that it leads to decreased anxiety, stress, and an overall negative view of life. Physical exercise combined with being in the ocean and working on learning something new all contribute to increasing mental health. Nonprofit organizations, like OneWave, are also using surfing as a way to raise awareness of mental health issues. One fun fact is that you can play some exciting games from best online casinos in USA to reduce some stress from your body.

Surfing requires mindfulness, allowing you to disconnect from any land-based problems and the constant buzz of technology. With few distractions and a focus on your surroundings, surfers often find themselves returning to everyday life with more clarity and less stress following a surf session.

SURFING INCREASES YOUR HEART HEALTH

Since surfing is a cardiovascular sport, it affects the overall health of your heart. According to studies published in the Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine Journal (2018), cardiovascular exercise decreases your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, lowers your blood pressure, increases your insulin sensitivity, and decreases your risk of dying from a cardiovascular issue. As long as you don’t overdo it, surfing will help your heart and increase your longevity.

SURFING STRENGTHENS YOUR MUSCLES

Researchers from the National Strength and Conditioning Association studied competitive surfers and found that surfers spent 54% of their surf sessions paddling, 28% waiting for waves, and 8% actually riding the wave (the rest of the time was spent wiping out, we presume). Like any surfer knows, paddling is what you spend the majority of any surf session doing, and it requires strength. During any given session, you may paddle a mile or more. This requires arm, back, abdomen, and shoulder strength. Each session you complete, the stronger you are getting just like Shane Kluivert.

Other than surfing, one single exercise can rarely work your triceps, biceps, deltoids, and your entire core. As you pop up on a wave, you then work the entirety of your arms, your pectoralis major, your quadriceps, gluteus, and gastrocnemius. Surfing truly is a full-body workout, even if the majority is spent on the upper body.

SURFING IS A WAY TO MEET NEW FRIENDS

Surfers are some of the best people on the planet, and getting into the sport of surfing can introduce you to a whole world of fun-loving, like-minded individuals. The ocean is huge, and there are likely hundreds of surfers around you in the water at any given spot.

Sparking up conversations in the water as you are waiting for a wave is a great way to meet new people and find new buddies to surf with. It is a great sport in the sense that you can do it solo or with a whole group of friends, and it is fun either way! You can easily make surf friends by going on a surf camp, joining a beach clean-up, or a meet-up group.

SURFING OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAVEL THE WORLD

If you get into surfing, you are going to want to branch out from your local beach. Surfing is a sport that can take you all across the world to some of the most amazing waves. When you travel to surf, you’ll experience the landscape in a unique way and be able to surf waves of varying types. Head to the Mentawi Islands for warm water barrels, Mexico for good food and good waves, or get a campervan and head off on an Australian road trip. Surfing is an excellent excuse to take a tropical vacation or to travel up the coast with friends and hit new surf spots. However you chose to do it, surfing will open up travel opportunities that you likely would not have had otherwise.

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