- Fit with Sascha Lange
- Exercises for the gym
- Windsurfing exercises for at home
- The best exercises with the sling trainer
- How to prevent injuries
- How to train and regenerate your feet
- The best exercises for SUPers
- Special exercises for foiling
- Training and regeneration with the Blackroll
Unfortunately, not all of us are lucky enough to be on the water all the time and only keep fit with windsurfing, wingsurfing or SUP paddling. If you can only surf irregularly as a "weekend warrior" alongside your normal everyday life of work, family and other commitments, you should try to train on the side. This will make your sessions on the water longer and better, because the end is not determined by endurance and strength.
In addition to a certain basic level of fitness, special exercises for surfing are useful to prepare our office-ridden muscles and joints for use on the water. It doesn't always have to be pumping iron in the gym, you can also train your fitness with simple home remedies, a sling trainer, a blackroll - both of which are also ideal for travelling - or even the windsurfing equipment you have in storage.
We have put together a few examples from the past few years for you. Of course, there are countless other options, whether it's yoga, crossfit, high intensity training or other sports - whatever is fun is good! And the prospect of extending your next surf session with a little discipline provides a little extra motivation!
Fit with Sascha Lange
Sascha Lange from Meerbusch is one of the most active trainers at the moment, and many pros have already asked him for advice. In addition to his "Fit for Surfing" programme, he has developed some exercises that you can do with your equipment on land or at home. "If your body has no tension and stability, then you will leave a lot of energy (wind) on the line. You will also glide on and through less easily. You won't be able to utilise strong gusts either and the elements will do what they want to you," says Sascha. "To prevent this from happening, I've put together a good mix of exercises that will boost your all-round performance on the water and ensure you always come out of the water with a big grin on your face." Our tip: Take a look at Sascha's Instagram account where he regularly shows new exercises!
Exercises for the gym
In addition to the right technique, an adequate level of strength in all the muscles involved is important for a relaxed surf session. And this doesn't just include the forearms and biceps that hold the rig! Of course, these muscles are often the first to get tired, often faster than you would like after the winter break. If you regularly do these exercises from fitness coach Gunnar Schäfer - even once a week is better than nothing - you will be able to get going again straight away in the season, without muscle pain, injuries or sore hands.
Windsurfing exercises for at home
Gunnar Schäfer also shows exercises that you can do at home or on the go - even on windless days on holiday, for example. "You should definitely integrate this special surfer workout into your training, even if you already train in the studio. You'll also improve your coordination, i.e. the interaction between the individual muscles. This gives you great stability - especially for your spine - and therefore also protects you from injury, as your muscles wrap around your joints like a corset. A strong musculature not only gives you a longer surfing day, but also reduces surf-specific overloads and lets you enjoy the most beautiful hobby in the world for longer."
The best exercises with the sling trainer
Simple, inexpensive, effective - holistic training gets windsurfers fit for the start of the season without the need for a fitness studio or blunt weight lifting. The principle is based on the fact that individual muscles are not used in isolation, but always integrate entire muscle groups, as is the case when performing complex movements such as windsurfing. Further advantages: You can train anywhere, you don't have to invest time and money in gyms and you can train your entire body with a sling trainer (e.g. from TRX or a home-made one made from sawn-off fork beams and tension belts).
How to prevent injuries
The ankle, shoulder and lower back are the most common areas of injury for windsurfers. In this article, I will show you how you can reduce your susceptibility to injury with minimal equipment and simple exercises. These exercises by Gunnar Schäfer are not aimed at large muscle packages, but at improving strength coordination - exactly what you need for windsurfing.
How to train and regenerate your feet
If the suspension goes on strike, even the best sports car drives like a bag of nuts. It's very similar with a surfer's feet. They are probably the most stressed parts of the body when windsurfing. That's why it makes sense to give them a little more love. Sascha Lange shows you what you can do!
The best exercises for SUPers
The best training takes place on the board, but to balance things out or on cold winter days, you can also move your training indoors. SUP racer and canoeing squad athlete Ole Schwarz, multiple German champion on the SUP, shows his favourite exercises here.
Special exercises for foiling
Foiling requires constant balancing movements in all directions - forwards and backwards, sideways, up and down, with significantly more in the front-back axis. As a result, the calf and shin muscles are put under greater strain. But the "big" leg muscles in the thigh also have to do more in the form of up and down movements; the demands are not as static as when speeding, but much more dynamic with a greater range of motion. After the first few attempts, foil beginners in particular feel muscle groups that they were previously unaware of. At least in the initial phase, the foiler stands completely differently on the board: more upright, orientated almost forwards, more balancing than powerful and the whole thing is also three-dimensional. Sports scientist Dr Christoph Jolk has prepared special exercises to train for this and get rid of sore muscles afterwards.
Training and regeneration with the Blackroll
It's not just windsurfers who have been using the Blackroll for years to mobilise the fascia around the muscles that are often responsible for the pain. We can say from our own experience that the roll works wonders. To combat the causes of pain and compensate for a lack of fitness, we have put together the most important exercises for strengthening the back here.
