Getting Back Into Shape

[AtlSurfGirl]

Hi All...I read on occasion but don't post too much. Do have a question tho and could really use some advice. In June I broke my leg on a shallow beach break. It was a pretty nasty fracture (tib and fib) and required two surgeries to fix. Long story short, its been over 6 months since I have been in the water and now that I am finally cleared medically to surf, I am well aware of the fact that my fitness level not where it needs to be. My goal is to be back surfing by spring and I was wondering if anyone had any experience / suggestions for getting back into 'surfing shape' after a long layoff. I figure I have about 12 weeks to make it all happen. I know I need cardio because I have gained some weight. I also plan to pick back up a strength training routine, which I did pretty regularly before I got hurt. I'd really like to work in some balance and cross-stepping training, but not sure what really works and what doesn't. I have a Bosu ball, but have never really used it for anything other than crunches. I like a diverse fitness routine, so I am open to any and all suggestions.

On an unrelated topic, just finalized plans with my shaper for a new log...a little incentive perhaps to whip myself back into shape. Going with a 9'6" traditional singlefin noserider (using a Takayama NR2 template with some slight modifications to the tail width.) Picked out my blank and fin (9.5" Fins Unlimited Malibu Classic) last week, so she should be ready in a few weeks...I'm so stoked!!!

Thanks for reading and looking forward to any and all input...Lisa

[billie_morini]

Lisa,
Glad to know you are cleared for surf, AtlSurfGirl. As an aside, suergeon told me in September 2010, "No surfing this Winter. Maybe not even until Summer."

Anyway, this thread should help with fitness questions:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=16358

Please post a photo of your new board when you can.
billie

[madcat]

Hey AtlSurfGirl, sorry to hear about the break. Having suffered many injuries and breaks myself I always find that swimming is one of the best ways to rebuild endurance (especially after a nasty break) it's low impact, fairly high resistance and will not hurt any aspect of your surfing game.

I used to jog, but when I broke my ankle there was just no way I could jog. I picked up competitive swimming for a season and by the end I was fully healed/strengthened.

[what I ride]

Hey, sorry to hear about your broken bones, I completely understand. I broke my tibula 2 years ago and it took a year for me to get back in the water. tip for fast recovery, go to youtube and look up training for pop ups in surfing. This guy has all these videos of using that ball to reconstruct your muscles for surfing. I used this for maybe a week and I was right back on my feet surfing, minus the sport cast and alot of duct tape. Check it out it will do wonders for sure.

[tony g]

I would start swimming as much as you can it will help you a lot. I would also get a balance board. Maybe an Indo board or a Vewdo Balance board you will be back in no time. You can even incorporate some cross stepping on some of the balance boards if you are careful.

Good Luck!

[Ed McDead]

Sorry about the break - nasty stuff

I had a back injury that kept me out of the water (and off bike, out of gym etc) for months. The first advice I would give is take it easy for the first couple of exercise sessions and build it up. My experience is that after a few sessions I really start to feel the fitness come back and able to up the intensity.

Secondly - do what you enjoy - with me (apart from surfing) that's mountain biking.


Thirdly, get back in th water as soons as possible. The best conditioninig for surfing is surfing - start on maller and cleaner days so you donlt have to contend with too much to paddle out. A few sessions of clean small surf and you'll be starting to feel it again.

[muzza]

My suggestions (fwiw)
#1 - swimming (boring, but if you persist, you'll see the benefits.)
#2 - surfing (no better way of training for surfing than surfing. Even if there's no surf - get out there and have a paddle.)
#3 - strength band training (rubber tubes with handles attached - tons of info on the web) They're small and you can take them everywhere for an impromptu workout. I like sitting in front of the plug-in-drug watching a surf movie while having a quiet, low impact workout.

The next 2 are a little more 'stressful'
#4 - Burpees (slightly adapted by popping into the surfing stance instead of feet side-by-side)
#5 - lunges (These are killer)

I hate gyms.

[antlesteven]

Sorry to hear about the bad break... lets hope you get back to to good breaks soon. As far as getting back to surf shape nothing is better then burpees. (squat, pushup, jump repeat) I do agree with Muzza that modifying the pop up so feet are in surfing stance will be better for a surfing application but doing the full burpee will be a better tool for rehab. I just purchased a goofboard balance board as well . I had bought an elite Indo board online and wasn't really satisfied with it. Although a great balancing tool The Indo board does not mimmick surfing one bit in my opinion. I sold it to a skateboarding buddy shortly after I got it. The goof board gives you that rail to rail motion and is a ton of fun. Great for practising your cross stepping if you're a longboarder. Let's be honest, some of us can't be out in the waves as often as we like but a tool like a good balance board can be great for lower body strengthening and conditioning. Good luck getting back out there.

[APH]

Hi,
Have also found my self beached for the last month (bulged disc in lower back). Been told no surfing for awhile. Just walking swimming and if I want to live life on the edge....water aerobics..woohoo. Apart from the obvious cant bend etc..Chiro explained the constant over extending the back while paddling etc will aggravate the back, was wondering if anyone else found that possibly knee paddling is kinder to the back or not. Cant be the only 40 yr old with back problems on the forum
Thanks
(especially to my neighbour who tells me about the great surf I missed out on every weekend)

[Ed McDead]

@APH

I'm a 44 year old with a bad back. I get sciatica, which is basically when the bolged disc presses on the sciatic nerve and causes pain from lower back down the leg. I've had a couple of bad sessions and just getting over one now whuc has lasted about 3 months. I do lots of physio exercises every day to help but it takes time to sort out. I am pretty sure my back problems are caused by injuries whilst rock climbing - I've not had problems with surfing, but that is just me and your chiro will know you better. Although maybe you could see a sports physio for a second opinion.

The exrcises I do are to help re-align the disc, improve flexibility and build up core stability muscles. The second two are as much prevention of future problems than cure. I don't think it is coincidence that my relapse was after I got lazy and stopped doing the exercises - lesson learned.

But stick with it and hopefully it will get better like mine has.

[APH]

Back @ ed mcdead

Tried to pm you ed but the system is not allowing me to do so at the moment. Maybe you could try to pm me instead as I'd like to pick your brains on what works for you, because everything I've tried isnt cutting it. Five day weekend here and the closest to the surf I'll be getting is taking my daughter to a surf lesson. At least I'll be able to raid her easter egg stash

[jaffa1949]

Back @ ed mcdead

Tried to pm you ed but the system is not allowing me to do so at the moment. Maybe you could try to pm me instead as I'd like to pick your brains on what works for you, because everything I've tried isnt cutting it. Five day weekend here and the closest to the surf I'll be getting is taking my daughter to a surf lesson. At least I'll be able to raid her easter egg stash

You prised yourself away from the fridge now you are raiding your daughter's easter eggs.
I'll be talking to you about serious health conditioning shortly. BTW How are the fins going

[APH]

Mea culpa Jaffa,

Was enjoying the single fin. Still really bad at surfing but had that loose feeling I enjoyed as a teenanger on my skateboard with loose trucks.
Even finally managed to get some facetime on the wave, albeit accidental. Got my feet tangled up in the legrope and couldnt move an inch. Was about to bail when I realised with all my struggling that the beach was moving parralell instead of straight on. Woohoo. Even found compromises with my shoulder issues. So all good until I hurt my back at work and 6 weeks on still dry. Was making progress so I thought I might have a go at a gentle surf hence the knee paddle question but had a major relapse and can barely walk let alone pick up my board.
Chiro thinks disc bulge L5. He hasnt ruled out a return to the water but he's concerned with the hyper extension of the back position when paddling, that includes boogie boards, body surfing etc
And thats why I'm living my surfing life through my daughter and eating her easter eggs. Spending time at the pool trying to keep up some form off paddle fitness plus the weightlessness is quite good relief

PS Mr Admin, why cant I PM?

[surf patrol]

at the mo' there's a certain amount of posts before you can pm. I'll look at removing that next week.

[jaffa1949]

Mea culpa Jaffa,

Was enjoying the single fin. Still really bad at surfing but had that loose feeling I enjoyed as a teenanger on my skateboard with loose trucks.
Even finally managed to get some facetime on the wave, albeit accidental. Got my feet tangled up in the legrope and couldnt move an inch. Was about to bail when I realised with all my struggling that the beach was moving parralell instead of straight on. Woohoo. Even found compromises with my shoulder issues. So all good until I hurt my back at work and 6 weeks on still dry. Was making progress so I thought I might have a go at a gentle surf hence the knee paddle question but had a major relapse and can barely walk let alone pick up my board.
Chiro thinks disc bulge L5. He hasnt ruled out a return to the water but he's concerned with the hyper extension of the back position when paddling, that includes boogie boards, body surfing etc
And thats why I'm living my surfing life through my daughter and eating her easter eggs. Spending time at the pool trying to keep up some form off paddle fitness plus the weightlessness is quite good relief

PS Mr Admin, why cant I PM?

Well APH some rehab thoughts for all the low back problems that we get a times in our surfing career.

First and foremost not all back pains are equal, ALL NEED TO BE PROPERLY DIAGNOSED

Secondly depending on that diagnosis proper exercise and rehabilitation should be undertaken!

Other sports do not make you entirely match fit for surfing!
See the post on Surfers' Myelopathy
viewtopic.php?f=8&p=144708#p144708 if you are a first time surfer.

OK if all is going well for you, consider.
Learning to swim well and strongly, legropes ( leashes break and swimming conditions some of the same muscles as surfing.
Swimming is a classic skill to avoid drowning
Be unprejudiced in your choice of equipment, different surf days require different equipment, go out and have fun on anything, try bodysurfing. Just get in the water as often as possible.
This works many varied muscle groups.
Knee paddling comes into this too and for long boarders is another shift from using only one set of muscles , but can in the early stages introduce upper back and neck pain.

Go to a gym if possible and hopefully get a gym instructor who surfs to design a surf specific strengthening program, with an aerobic content, doing paddle specific exercise repetitions for the equivalent time of a paddle out.

Take up Pilates or Yoga with people who understand surfing if possible, start at the very beginning of their program to get the full benefit. his is so you can surf for as long in your life as you wish.

Get yourself a tame Masseur or Masseuse who understands the stresses of surfing, go to them occasionally.
Same for a medico and Chiropractor. The understanding surfing is important, otherwise they can only guess what happens in the surf.

IF you have been injured

Get diagnosed and treated by your surfing medical team, get a realistic timetable for your recovery. Follow their advice. Remember to choose people who understand surfing.

If they advise Physiotherapy do the whole program and get home projects to advance your rehabilitation. Do Them.

At the appropriate time commence or recommence Pilates or Yoga.

Now why do I recommend Pilates or Yoga or other spinal muscle core strength programs *

If you have injured the spinal disc there is often a bulge into the spinal cord area producing pain and dysfunction, given time the inflammation of the disc and the tissue it effects diminishes and can be helped by various forms of therapy or medication.
This disc area is then a site that can be more easily re-injured.
*Strengthening the core muscle around the spine increases their ability to withstand injury and to recover from injury.
You become a better surfer if you are both generally fit and surf specifically fit, your body is more able to meet your desires of what you want to do on the wave.
Doing the the surf specific exercises increases the ability of the nervous system and its proprioreceptors to adjust balance and fire to give you your quality surf!

REWARDS = pleasure endorphins, not pain or injury.

[Ed McDead]

@ APH - not been logged in for a while - I'm in training for a couple of big mountain bike trips so I've not been doing much else over Easter (other than family stuff).

I am happy to PM to offer support, its not until you've been through a full on bad back that you realise how bad it is. Going from fit(ish) forty something, surfing, climbing, biking to not being able to put my own socks and shoes on is a real leveller - so happy to be almost back to normal now, although I'm still cautious - I was helping my neighbour carry a washing machine into his house over the weekend and felt a twinge. As Jaffa said always get a diagnosis and advice on exercise - with my condition I was given specific advice about pushing the stretches really hard, but that was on the back of MD and physio diagnosis. I've always found that exrcise is part of the solution, and in particular working on core stability does seem to be the think that keeps the problems at bay.