The first official account of surfing was noted by Captain James Cook in 1778 when he saw native Hawaiians hitting the waves. From then, surfing bloomed into a hobby and a sport that attracted millions around the world. If you’re a cyclist aiming to try your hand at surfing, you will want to know what can improve your ability to catch choice waves. You’ll be happy to know that, as a cyclist, you’re already taking part in a healthy activity that carries great benefits for surfing. So how does cycling benefit those that surf?

It significantly improves balance

Balance is often referred to as a critical aspect of surfing, according to Scott Coleman and Surfscience.com. After all, balance is needed to stay on the board as you’re riding a wave. Cycling can help improve a surfer’s balance and coordination. A study published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that cycling at least one hour per week led to significant improvements in balance for adults. So cycling a few hours each week not only benefits your health, but it can yield significant boons for your balance on the board too.

A group ride
Cycling at least one hour per week leads to significant improvements in balance for adults.

It targets specific muscles which surfers use a lot

Surfing is a full-body workout. When you surf, you end up using multiple muscles like your triceps, biceps, rectus abdominis, gluteal muscles, biceps femoris, and so many others. The motion of standing on a board will require a strong core and leg muscles. Cycling is highly helpful in targeting those specific muscles, as it makes you use several leg muscles at once, including the gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and quadriceps, according to Paul Norman.

Sitting on a speeding bicycle will help to train your abdominal and back muscles so you’ll be steadier on your board. Another added benefit is that cycling, like yoga, is a low-impact activity that strengthens muscles. So experienced and new surfers that are looking to strengthen their bodies before they hit the water can find an effective muscle-targeting workout routine in cycling and can supplement it with yoga too.

Effectively builds endurance

For a cyclist to get the most out of a surf session’s wave cycles, it’s important to have endurance. Thankfully, cycling is a safe way to build your stamina. Longer and steadier bike rides build endurance, according to Jenny Hadfield and Jordan Smith. When you ride a bike, you slowly work up your stamina, as you are constantly strengthening your muscles and getting a better handle on your breathing. All of these translate well into surfing, as controlling your breathing is important when facing a wave, and a strong endurance means that you can catch more waves and don’t have to bow out because of fatigue or muscle cramps.

Cycling effectively builds endurance and this highly benefits surfers.
Cycling effectively builds endurance and this highly benefits surfers.

Both cycling and surfing are activities that can effectively enrich your life and help you unlock better health. Now that you know how cycling can benefit surfing, it’s best to plan how you can fully take advantage of it. It helps to further educate yourself on what other benefits cycling can bring so that the next time you hit the waves, you can do so with full confidence and peace of mind.

Jane Sandwood

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