Surfing can be both thrilling and grueling sport, demanding hard work and dedication to be truly enjoyable.
Learning to surf takes more time and commitment than other sports; it could take weeks, months or years before you learn how to consistently catch good waves.
Physical
Surfing can be a physically demanding endeavor that demands strength and flexibility in arms, legs and core to remain upright on a board. As waves push you around with great force, twisting and turning is often necessary to stay upright on the board. Surfing exercise helps improve muscle flexibility as well as joint range of motion in everyday activities that you engage in throughout life.
Surfing exercises your cardiovascular system by increasing heart rate and making you breathe harder – an effective way to burn calories, improve overall health, and naturally lift mood.
Surfing increases blood flow to your skin and body surface, helping prevent dryness and itchiness. Completing challenging sessions also gives a sense of accomplishment and will boost both self-confidence and motivation to repeat them in future sessions.
As a result, your brain will release endorphins – natural chemicals that increase feelings of happiness and satisfaction while decreasing stress levels and anxiety levels.
Surfing offers another advantage to improving balance and coordination. Staying atop a surf board requires strong balance as you must turn off and on it to ride waves successfully, and surfing strengthens abdominal muscles essential for stabilization when lying or sitting down on it.
This exercise also strengthens leg muscles, making paddling to catch waves easier. Paddling requires squatting down and bending forward at different points during each stroke – therefore this exercise helps strengthen legs for paddleboarders!
Surfing requires staying balanced on the board while staying alert to dangers such as big waves, other surfers, sea creatures, rip currents and rocks – an activity which demands both mental and physical energy levels – making surfing an excellent calorie burner!
Mental
Surfing hard has long been known to benefit both body and mind; as both a physical and mental exercise. Exercise causes the hippocampus and amygdala of your brain to expand during physical exercise, helping reduce anxiety and stress levels. being out on the water and experiencing its unique qualities such as seaweed scent, cloud-dotted sky and feeling the earth underfoot has proven successful at relieving symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Hayden Thorpe and Restoke organize weekly lessons at Piha beach for people battling mental health issues to learn to surf. According to Thorpe, surfing provides people an outlet and “reset button” in their lives.
He has often heard clients describe themselves as feeling relaxed, focused, and present. This natural form of mindfulness is something many are striving to attain as the world becomes increasingly stressful.
Amber Lawrence-Graham was suffering from depression when she began surfing with Thorpe’s charity and it helped her get “physically stronger and mentally inspired”. Now, as she prepares to relocate to London in a few months’ time, this physical strength has allowed her to better cope with her emotional state.
According to emerging research, surfing can also serve as an effective therapy tool for veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Surfing’s connection to nature and intense sense of physical activity are both therapeutic for mental wellbeing, while feeling the waves on your back provides physical sensations which may help alleviate PTSD symptoms.
Thorpe employs another strategy he calls “urge surfing”, which involves riding waves of urge or craving, acknowledging their peak before they dissipate over time. This technique can help people with addictions or behavioral disorders understand the difference between an urge and craving.
Surf therapy has proven itself effective at treating mental illness, with researchers noting significant improvements after only six weeks of surfing. It is an expanding area of research with promising results; we hope more programs will be created and recommended by GPs to aid individuals who suffer from mental illness.
Emotional
Surfing can be both physically demanding and fun; for many it offers an escape from everyday stressors and allows them to take some time for themselves and relax.
Surfing’s soothing effects can be seen through its ability to release endorphins – neurotransmitters that help your body feel a sense of accomplishment and self-worth, according to an article on TheGearHunt.
These natural chemicals may help alleviate anxiety and depression by increasing your levels of serotonin in your brain – this being controlled by the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus and amygdala.
Stressful situations cause these structures to produce hormones which lead to depression and anxiety; when in a state of euphoria, however, these same areas are better equipped at making decisions based on information they receive and making sound choices accordingly.
Studies have demonstrated the therapeutic value of surfing for improving one’s mood, helping reduce stress levels and alleviating mental fatigue. Thus, surfing has become an integral component of therapy programs designed to treat mental health disorders.
Experience has shown that nature-based therapies are an effective means of treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Being in nature and connecting to its elements has a calming effect, stimulating release of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine, and serotonin that helps restore equilibrium within the brain.
Surfing can also provide an opportunity to socialize and build relationships, which has an equally positive effect on one’s mental wellbeing. Exploring the ocean together with friends or family members provides an ideal setting to relax together and share stories or discuss topics of mutual importance.
Surfing is an enjoyable activity that anyone, no matter their experience level, can take part in and appreciate. The community of surfers is welcoming and it provides an ideal opportunity to meet new people while learning something new.
Social
One of the greatest aspects of surfing is its social aspect. A recent California study confirmed this; surfing can provide an ideal way to meet new friends or renew existing ones while providing relief from everyday stressors like an office job’s regular workday schedule.
Surfing can be great exercise and social outlet at once; especially if you live near the ocean. Surfing offers you an ideal way to meet new people while getting out and experiencing summer as it should be!
At its heart lies its cost-effective nature: joining doesn’t cost a fortune to join or experiment. All it requires to get going is a Facebook profile with photos to upload, some time and some patience on your hands to start seeing results. Signing up via your profile for free with Facebook works just fine or pay an optional small subscription fee for full membership access.
Additionally, this online community is extremely enjoyable with various social groups and events taking place all the time. As a real social network you can interact with other members by chating, uploading photographs of your adventures or participating in group activities; forums are also provided which all help build up your network in a positive manner.