“The way that joints maintain health is through movement. Make sure you move all of your joints to their fullest capacity, frequently.” – Dr Andreo Spina
I can’t think of a sport that involves more diversity and complexity of movement than surfing. You need to be able to compress, extend and rotate your body, at speed, in unpredictable conditions, with complete control.
This requires full range of motion in every joint – ankles, knees, hips, spine and shoulders – supple muscles and good postural alignment. Unfortunately, if you’re anything like my surfing clients, however fit, strong and athletic you are, your compromised flexibility is what’s holding you back.
I’ve designed this 15-minute video to help you start loosening up tight joints so you can move more fluidly on the board and shift some of those niggling aches and pains.
How do we get tight in the first place?
Use it or lose it.
I’m sure you’ve heard this before but it really is that simple. If you suffer from tightness, inflexibility or recurring pain in any part of your body, your daily activities are not taking you through sufficient range of motion to keep your muscles and joints healthy and in proper alignment.
Most of us sit too much, maintain a narrow range of movement patterns and spend too little time counteracting the negative impacts of it all with stretching, massages or manual therapy.
The typical pattern we need to address is:
- Stiffness in the thoracic spine (mid-back) which leads to neck and shoulder pain
- Compression of the lumbar spine which causes pain at the lower back
- Tight hips
- Tension in the upper back, neck and shoulders
When you get in the water and ask your body to perform highly complex and dynamic movements at speed, any limitations in your ability to move efficiently is going to impede your performance and increase the likelihood of injury.
What difference will mobility training make to your surfing?
If you’re consistent and commit to spending at least 15 minutes a day, 3-5 days a week working on your mobility, you can expect to:
- Feel more limber on your board
- Increase your power and explosiveness
- Speed up recovery time
- Increase your endurance
- Reduce pain in the lower back, neck and shoulders
- Improve the effectiveness of your breathing
- Decrease your risk of injury
- Surf with more style
- Increase your longevity in the sport
What makes yoga so effective at improving joint mobility?
Yoga works on a number of different levels, affecting both your physiology and your central nervous system.
- Slow and controlled movement through full range of motion loosens up tight joints.
- Static stretching – holding poses – releases muscular tension and helps to correct postural imbalances.
- Yoga follows a sequence of forward bends, backbends, side bends and twists to flex, extend and move your body through all planes of motion.
- Deep, diaphragmatic breathing calms the nervous system. When your body is relaxed your muscles are more receptive to stretching.
- Practicing yoga increases body awareness without which it’s impossible to create meaningful structural change.
So how does this sequence work?
The Warm Up
- Child’s Pose reverses the paddling (spinal extension) position, gently stretching your upper back and shoulders.
- Slowing down your breath activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system, preparing the body for deep stretching and relaxation.
- The Cat Cow mobility sequence stimulates blood flow, warms up the muscles and lubricates the joints and connective tissue.
The Poses
- Downward Dog stretches the entire length of the spine, opens up the shoulders and stretches the calves and hamstrings.
- Rag Doll continues to stretch the backs of the legs and decompress the spine, making space between the vertebrae.
- Thread The Needle is a gentle stretch that increases rotational mobility in the spine, opens up the shoulders and stretches the abs and obliques.
- Pigeon pose is a deep hip opener that stretches the outer hips, glutes and hip flexors.
The Cool Down
- Body Scan Meditation is a therapeutic technique that increases body awareness, relaxes the body and calms the mind.
Tips to Getting the Most Out of This Sequence
- Try to relax. This is a recovery session not a workout. When you’re relaxed, your muscles are more receptive to stretching and the routine will be more effective.
- Just go to your edge. Trying to force your muscles to stretch will only create more tension.
- Consciously slow down your breathing. As you inhale, fill your ribcage front, back and sides and try to make your exhalations as long and slow as you can.
- Try not to drift off into thoughts. Stay present, focussing on your breath and the sensations in your body throughout the sequence.
- You can do this restorative sequence any time of day but in the evening before bed is best. Up to seven days a week as necessary.
Photo: Samuel Costin, Bingin Beach, Bali
Editor’s Note: This video comes from the Yoga 15 Relaxation series – 15 x 15-minute videos designed to increase flexibility, loosen up tight joints and promote athletic recovery.
