Surfing is a fantastic sport, full of thrills and spills! It’s no surprise that the fitter you are the better surfing experiences you will enjoy but what about the quality of your surfing? Are you running out of paddle power? Do you find it difficult balance on your board? Would you like to decrease the risk of injuries? If the answer is yes to any of these, then you will benefit from developing your core strength using an exercise program designed specifically for surfers that adopts a functional approach. Where are My Core Muscles? Your core muscles run the length of the trunk and torso. The combination of your pelvis, hips, obliques, back, and abdomen act to stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulder girdle giving you stability, strength, movement and flexibility. Your core muscles connect the upper and lower body and serve to transfer the power developed in your hips and legs into your arms and from your arms into your hips and legs. Why should I increase my Core Strength? Core strength is simply about having a strong core muscle group. If your core muscles are weak your body will not work as effectively as it could, resulting in poor posture and injuries to the knees, back and shoulders. By developing your core strength you are not only going to improve your posture (and look much better for it!), decrease the risk of injury but you will also improve your balance and stability. Even when you are only standing on the board you are engaging your core muscles, so think how much you use your core muscles when twisting, turning and rotating on your surfboard out on the waves. How to improve your Core Strength? Since your core muscles are made up of many muscle groups you must ensure you are targeting all the muscles. The best exercises to improve core-strength are those that involve balancing and ideal you should perform exercises where you move your arms and legs while keeping your torso stable. The beauty about core strength training is that you don’t need to use weights or equipment, you just a need a mat or carpet. CRUNCHES: – Lie on your back, place hands at the side of your head and place feet on the floor with your legs bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles. – Lift your head and shoulders off the floor and bring your chest towards your thighs. – Return to the start position. REVERSE CRUNCHES: – Lie on your back, place hands at the side of your head. – Raise your legs and bend to a 90 degree angle. Tighten your abdominal muscles. – Lift your hips off the floor and bring your knees towards your chest. Then, lower feet to the floor. Try to use your abs to lift your hips rather than momentum and try not arch your back. OBLIQUE CROSSING OVER CRUNCHES: – Lie on your back, place your right hand at the side of your head and your left hand stretched out on the floor. – Place your right foot flat on the floor so that your knee is bent. Place your left foot on your right knee. – Lift your shoulder blades off the floor, twisting diagonally towards your left knee. You should contract your abs as you lift your head and shoulders Return back to the starting position. AIR BICYCLING: – Lie on your back, place your hands at the side of your head. – Place your feet flat on the floor bending your knees. – Lift the upper part of your body, bring your left knee towards your chin and extend your right leg straight then switch in a fluid motion. Continue to alternate sides as if you are pedalling a bicycle. PLANK: – Lie on your front and lift your upper body so that have placed only forearms and palms flat on the floor. – Lift your lower body off the floor, so that you are resting on your forearms and toes. – Hold while tightening your abs for about 30 seconds. SIDE BRIDGE: – Lie on your front and lift your upper body so that have placed only forearms and palms flat on the floor. – Turn to the right and lift your right arm off the floor so that you are balancing using your left forearm. – Hold while tightening your abs for about 30 seconds. V-UPS: – Lie on your back, place your hands at the side of your head – Keep your legs straight and feet together. Place your arms behind you flat on the floor. – Bring your legs up without bending your knees and your arms forward and try to touch them in the air. – Return to the start position. It’s a good idea to vary your exercises to keep the muscles challenged. A well rounded exercise program would also incorporates stretching, cardio, and strength training. As a surfer you will benefit most from following a surf specific exercise program that uses a functional approach. These programs will cover core strength but vitally they will also focus on all the elements required for optimum surfing such as speed, flexibility, agility and power. If you would like to build incredible core strength visit http://www.easysurffitness.com where you will find a ground-breaking new functional training program designed exclusively for surfers that focuses specifically on core conditioning, balance, upper body strength and lower body strength.Smartphone Software

Surfers need the ability to balance. If your balance is good you’ll have a more exciting surfing experience and avoid those nasty wipe outs. By developing your balancing ability you will also build upon your core strength. The stronger your core, the more adventurous the maneuvers you will be able to perform! Lets look at the different ways you can improve your balance and core strength. Good balance exercises are one-legged exercises, exercises performed on different surfaces and exercises that are performed with eyes closed. Surfers in particular must develop their dynamic balance. Dynamic balance is the ability to maintain a balanced position while moving. Therefore exercises performed on both firm and unstable surfaces will work really. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Raise one foot and do not let it touch the other leg or the floor. Close your eyes and maintain your balance for 30 seconds or more. Another take on this is to put your hands on your hips, place the raised foot behind the knee of the standing leg. When you have balance raise your standing leg onto the ball of your foot so that your heel is no longer touching the floor and close your eyes. Repeat three times and take your average score. If you can balance for more than 50 seconds on the ball of your foot without hopping, taking your hands off your hips, or taking your foot away from your knee, then you have excellent balance. Anything below 10 means your balance is poor and needs some work! Without equipment and on flat surfaces you could use exercises such as: The Hover Step-Up: Stand facing the long side of a step or sturdy box about 6-10 inches in height. Stand up on the step / box. Now dangle your left leg off the side of the step. Bend your right knee and slowly lower your body until the left foot is just above the floor. Bring your body forwards so that your body weight is suspended directly above your right ankle. Wait for 10 seconds and then return to standing on the box with both feet but keep your knees slightly bent. Repeat using your right foot. Progression: include weights and / or use a higher step / box. One-Leg Punches: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Raise 1 foot and do not let it touch the other leg or the floor. Using 1kg hand weights, punch the air above the head using alternate arms. Keep the supporting knee soft. Repeat 10 times. Next while still balancing on the same leg, punch out to the side above shoulder height. Finally complete 10 alternate crossover punches above the head. Then repeat on your other leg. Progression: include weights or repeating with eyes closed or perform on a different type of surface. If you have a stability ball / fit ball possible exercises are: Balance on the ball on your knees for 30-45 seconds. Progression: If you find this easy try to balance on one knee and one foot. Sit upright on the ball and tighten your abs. Place your hands on the ball. Roll the hips in a circle clockwise, firstly make small circles and then, as you find it easier, make larger circles. Make 10-20 circles and then repeat going anti-clockwise Progression: place your hands behind your head Sit upright on the ball and tighten your abs. Start to march forward slowly, taking the ball with you, lifting first the right foot and then the left foot. As you progress march faster while lifting your knees higher. Do this for 1-2 minutes. Progression: place your hands behind your head Sit upright on the ball and tighten your abs. Place your hands on the ball. Lift the right foot off the floor and holding for at least 5 seconds. Lower and repeat on the other side. Repeat for 5-10 reps. Progression: place your hands behind your head Sit upright on the ball and tighten your abs. Place your hands on the ball. slowly walk the feet forward until you are only resting you head and shoulders on the ball. You hips should be lifted and your torso perpendicular to the floor. At this position you should be able to place a glass of water on your tummy without it spilling! Now walk all the way back until you’re seated again on the ball. Repeat for 3-5 reps. These exercises are merely suggestions and any balance exercises should be incorporated as part of your over all workout. Ideally you should place balance exercises early in your workout program as they tend to be quite challenging requiring a lot of focus and concentration. To really get the most from your workout you should use a functional training program that is specifically designed for surfers. These programs will cover balance in-depth but crucially they will also focus on all the elements required for optimum surfing such as speed, flexibility, agility, power and overall core strength. For an amazing core stength exercise training program that builds incredible balance, upper body strength and lower body strength visit http://www.easysurffitness.com and receive a free training program that will kick start your new and improved surfing fitness!the best registry cleaner

If you want to create the best core workout, you need both ab and back exercises. When most people think about the core, their first thought is ab exercises, but ab exercises by themselves won’t make a complete core workout. When you include lower back exercises and ab exercises in your workout, you will have a well rounded and balanced core. Ab exercises help you to generate power moving forwards and prevent the spine from moving too far backwards.  Some of the best ab exercises are planks, crunches on a ball, side planks, sit ups, and leg raises.  Planks are an isometric ab exercise in which you simply balance on your elbow and toes and hold that position.  Side planks are also an isometric ab exercise in which you are balanced on one elbow and your feet.  Crunches on a stability ball offer increased range of motion when compared to the floor and can help to improve balance.  Sit ups are a classic ab exercise and they are great for athletes, but they can put more pressure on the lower back than crunches on a ball.  Lastly, leg raises are also tough on the lower back, but they are great for improving core stability and pelvic control. Lower back exercises help you to generate power moving backwards and while lifting and prevent the spine from moving too far forwards.  Lower back exercises are just as important as ab exercises for preventing lower back pain. Some of the best lower back exercises are back extensions on a ball, back extensions on the floor, and back extensions on a slant board.  You can add a rotational movement to all of the previous exercises to add a more challenging element.  In addition to the back extension movement, you can also do the stiff leg dead lift or the conventional dead lift. The dead lift position and motion is important for a well rounded core workout, because many lower back injuries occur when you are lifting.  So, it makes sense to practice the lifting motion and position during your core workouts. The abdominal muscles and lower back muscles help to rotate and side bend the spine, and they both help to stabilize the lumbar spine and lower back.  Rotational exercises are very important to any core workout.  Functional activities and athletic activities happen in multiple directions and multiple planes.  Generally, our bodies are weakest in rotational directions, so it is important to include rotational movements in your core workout.  Some of the best rotational exercises are the Russian twist, standing cable lifts or chops, and standing cable rotations. Both the abs and lower back are important for core workouts.  So, if you really want well-rounded core workouts, think abs and back. Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.

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Core training has become popular as a fitness philosophy because it is a great way to build a strong foundation.  Here are 10 Core Exercise Tips. Tip #1: Activate Your Abdominal Muscles The abdominal muscles play a significant role in core stability.  The deep abdominal muscles contract to stabilize the spine before the arms and legs can move.  The drawing-in maneuver and the plank are great exercises to activate the deep abdominal muscles. Tip #2: Strengthen Your Lower Back Muscles The lower back muscles often get neglected in fitness programs, probably in part because of vanity.  I’ve never heard someone say, “Do you know any good exercises to get ripped lower back muscles?”  In fitness many people are focused on getting 6 pack abs and a flat stomach, and they are neglecting their back. The back muscles are just as important as the abdominal muscles.  If you want to have a strong core, you must have both strong abs and strong back muscles. Tip #3: Learn to Engage the Pelvic Floor The Pelvic Floor muscles are most popular when discussing sexual dysfunction or bladder control issues, but they are really important for stabilizing the pelvis lumbar spine.  They actually work with the abdominals and back muscles.  To engage the pelvic floor muscles you have to contract as if you were preventing yourself from going to the bathroom. Tip #4: Do Balance Exercises Balance Exercises are any exercise when you’re standing on 1 leg or when you are standing on an unstable surface.  Your center of gravity shifts when you stand on one leg, so your core muscles must work harder to maintain your alignment.  Balance Exercises are an important part of a core workout routine. Tip #5: Strengthen your Scapular Muscles and Rotator Cuff Your core is more than just your spine.   Your core is your entire trunk and consists of the shoulder and scapular stabilizers.  When your scapula is stable, you will be less likely to get shoulder injuries and you will perform at a higher level.  Your core workout should include scapular and rotator cuff exercises. Tip #6: Strengthen your Gluteus Maximus The hip stabilizers are also part of the core.  The glutes attach to the pelvis and control the position of the hips.  When the glutes are weak or inefficient you will have a decrease in pelvic stability and hip stability.  Bridges are a great exercise to strengthen the glutes an improve core stability. Tip #7: Train for Stabilization and Endurance First Core stabilization exercises are exercises in which there is little to no movement around the spine.  When you begin a core program, it is important to first build a solid foundation of stability.  If you focus on stability first, you’ll make greater improvements in strength and speed.  The Plank is a great core stabilization exercise. Tip #8: Train for Strength Second Once you have a good base of stability, shift to building strength.  Strength exercises challenge your abdominal and back muscles through a large range of motion. Crunches on a Swiss Ball and lower back extension on a machine are good strength exercises. Tip #9: Train for Power and Speed Third Once you have a base of stability and strength, you can more efficiently develop your speed.  In addition, if you have a strong foundation, you will be less likely to get injured and your performance will improve more quickly.  Power exercises are done in a fast and explosive way.  Medicine ball throws and jumping exercises help to develop the power of your core muscles. Tip #10: Play with Different Core Exercise Equipment There are many tools that can enhance your core workout.  The Exercise Ball, Reebok Core Board, and the Bosu Ball are all great tools that can challenge your coordination and balance.  When you exercise on less stable surfaces, your core muscles work even harder to stabilize your body. Well, I hope those tips help to give you some ideas about how to improve your core workout. Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.
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