Stretching and Strengthening for Surfing Part 5

PART 5

Part 5 is all about the abdominal muscles and being able to maintain a deep abdominal connection while moving other parts of your body.
This section is NOT suitable for anyone with an injury or chronic back, neck or abdominal pain.
Please read through the exercises carefully before trying them and warm up with parts 1 & 4 before you do this section.

14. Leg Dips from Table Top

Core connection and strengthening your abdominal muscles

To get into position:  Lay on your back in neutral position with your body centred, knees bent, feet lined up with your sit bones and pelvis in neutral.

•  INHALE: through your nose, prepare.
• EXHALE: through pursed lips and gently connect into your imprint or maintain neutral pelvis if you prefer.
• INHALE: take your right leg off the floor keeping your knee flexed at 90º, float your knee over your hip and keep your toes lined up with your knees.
• EXHALE: deepen your connection by rolling your pubic bone up to your belly button and sliding your bottom ribs closer together, raise your left leg off the floor and hover it in the air next to the right leg.

• INHALE: Stay

• EXHALE: slide your bottom ribs closer together, then initiating the movement from your hip joint (not your knee) dip your right leg down to the floor.
• INHALE: lift the leg back to table top position.

• EXHALE: slide your bottom ribs closer together, then initiating the movement from your hip joint (not your knee) dip your left leg down to the floor.
• INHALE: lift the leg back to table top position.

Keep going!  Alternate from leg to leg for 10 dips give your knees a hug then try another 10!

NOTE: maintain equal weight through your body as your legs move – especially your bottom! Avoid your hips rocking side to side by using your EXHALE to connect your abdominals – BREATH – CONNECT – MOVE!

15. Forward flexion

Core strength and endurance – Abdominal muscles

This exercise can be done in imprint at table top (legs in the air) or with your feet on the floor in neutral pelvis. If your back is feeling sore – keep your feet on the floor!  You will need a squashy ball or a plump pillow to put between your knees – I am using a 10cm diameter ball

Start position: Table top – get into table top position as explained above take the ball or pillow and place it between your knees. Place your hands behind your head to support your neck.

•  INHALE: through the nose – prepare.
• EXHALE: through pursed lips, slide your bottom ribs together and continue to flex over your breast bone bringing your eye line to the bottom of the ball/cushion simultaneously sliding your ribs towards your pelvis.

• INHALE: slowly return your upper body and head to the mat.
• NOTE: the slower you do this the harder you work your abs.
• Try counting to 2 on the way up and on the way down – work up to a count of 5 on the way up and on the way down – breathe LONG and SLOW.
• Do 10 repetitions, give your knees a hug and then do 10 more.

16. Obliques

Core connection; stretching and strengthening your abdominal and leg muscles

This exercise can be done in imprint at table top (legs in the air) or with your feet on the floor in neutral pelvis. If your back is feeling sore – keep your feet on the floor!

Start position: Table top

• INHALE: through your nose, prepare.
• EXHALE: through pursed lips flex over your breast bone bringing head and shoulders off the mat (as in forward flexion above).
• INHALE: stay.

Then

•  EXHALE: lengthen you right leg towards the end of the mat simultaneously rotating your upper body towards your left thigh.
• INHALE: draw your right leg back to table top and rotate the body to centre (facing your thighs).

• EXHALE: lengthen you left leg towards the end of the mat simultaneously rotating your upper body towards your right thigh.
• INHALE: draw your left leg back to table top and rotate the body to centre (facing your thighs).

Do 10 rotations alternating from side to side, give your knees a hug then try another 10

NOTE: keep head and shoulders off the mat at all times. Rotate from under your ribcage, keeping your collar bones open and direct your armpit to the middle of your thigh – NOT ELBOW TO KNEE!!