Tested on myself: fitness on the surf

Do you want to become more active and exercise regularly? Find an activity you enjoy: running, dancing, climbing, yoga, Pilates… Only those workouts that bring pleasure are effective. Fitness instructors give this advice to all beginners. I would add on my own that the key to success is also in diversity.

No matter how much I like yoga and swimming, doing only them all the time is boring. That is why I closely follow all the latest in the sports industry and certainly test them on myself. Fortunately, the imagination of the creators of fitness programs knows no bounds: they offer new solutions, crossing existing directions. For example, boxing and ballet, cycling and swimming, or, in this case, surfing and classic bodyweight exercises.

Classes begin with the usual aqua aerobic warm-up. It makes no sense to describe it in detail, but it itself is necessary to warm up and prepare the muscles for the load. Then comes the first exercise – to climb onto the surf from the water. If you have tried to catch a wave in the ocean, or at least just get into a boat while standing waist-deep in water, then you know that it is very difficult. To be honest, I didn’t know and over and over again turned the surf on myself.

The secret is to do everything quickly and clearly, with an upward movement. In no case should you hang halfway and try to pull the boat towards you – it will simply roll over, hitting you lightly on the head for your sluggishness along the way.

I got it on the third or fifth try. Not very graceful, but what can you do. But fun.

Next, in fact, is the main part of the training. You need to strike a balance. By the way, the surf turned out to be less stable than it seemed from the shore.

Unlike a regular training on land, you can’t relax here even for a second. The buttocks are compressed, the press is tense, the shoulders are lowered, the knees are slightly bent. I recall an episode from “Office Romance”:

– Chest forward. Pick up from behind. Belly in yourself.

– How? Or there, or there!

– Do what you are told.

Here on the surf the same story. It is worth relaxing somewhere, and the “platform” begins to swing treacherously. So, in addition to physical activity, X-Surf is great for teaching concentration. I just love balance training because in the process you can take a break from unnecessary thoughts. While you are thinking about how not to fall off, there is no time to worry about something else.

Looking ahead, I will say that it is difficult to keep balance in X-Surf only on the first or second lessons. And then the body itself knows what to do. Although you still won’t be able to relax – or unplanned swimming cannot be avoided. But such a load allows you to use not only stabilizing muscles, but also those whose existence you did not suspect or forgot.

The training itself is based on all the familiar exercises: all kinds of squats, lunges, tilts, leg swings, push-ups, planks. Naturally, the unstable surface makes this classic of the genre more exciting and varied. If desired, some can use a paddle, dumbbells, or other equipment. But this is not at all necessary.

In fact, the selection of exercises is limited only by the imagination of the coach. A colleague, with whom we tested X-Surf together, after training, began to do various yoga asanas on the surf, and then stood on the bridge. The people who were practicing in the pool at that time began to applaud. So the direction of “surf yoga” will probably soon appear in the schedule of fitness clubs.

Where to try:

• X-Surf in X-Fit Chistye Prudy Premium and X-Fit Park Pobedy Premium (xfit.ru)
• SUP’P in World Class “Romanov” and “Kuntsevo” (worldclass.ru)
• SUP’P at Encore Moscow City fitness club (encorefitness.ru)