Surfing Tip 101: How to Prevent Muscle Cramps

6 March, 2017

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A muscle cramp is a common occurrence for beginner and professional surfers. This is a severe pain that a certain part of the body encounters when a muscle or group of muscles involuntarily contracts. During a muscular cramp, the body won’t be able to use the muscles within the affected area which may ruin your perfect surfing session.

When taking surf lessons Adelaide, our surf instructors usually provide guidelines as to the proper ways of allowing the body to adjust to the water temperature and the physical demands of surfing. To properly guide you on how to avoid muscle cramps when you get ready for your surfing, here are some pre-surf preparations you need to do.

  1. Drink a lot of water. Having more fluid in your body is the first step you need to take to avoid muscle cramps when surfing. Dehydration, especially when you are doing exhausting activities, can be a cause of cramps. Drink a lot of water before you surf to maintain the proper amount of bodily fluids. Keep in mind that you also need to drink water after your round of surfing. Never forget the electrolytes loss that your body will incur after surfing.
  2. Boost your potassium level. Eating potassium rich food, like banana, unsalted nuts, apricot and melon can also help prevent cramps. Sodium and potassium are important minerals that will help you prevent from getting cramps. Salted biscuits are the most common food that will help you maintain your sodium levels.
  3. Regular physical exercise. Preventing muscle cramps is not just about proper food intake and nutrition. Getting regular physical exercise is also a must. Schedule a daily exercise that will help your body get ready for the physical demands that surfing entails. Doing so will improve the blood circulation of your body. Do not forget to include cardio and circuit exercises into your daily routine.
  4. Work on your flexibility. Muscles become stiff when they are not used for long periods of time. It has been proven that doing flexibility exercises and warming-up before surfing helps prevent the occurrence of cramps. A good round of warm-up exercise can make a difference. Do not disregard this tip. You also need to perform a post-surf stretching for your muscles to relax and heal after a tiring round of surfing.

These tips are just some of the few proven steps that will help you from getting muscle cramps. There are no guaranteed ways to keep muscle cramps from happening since it is an involuntary muscle contraction. All you need to do is take careful pre cautionary measures that will help your body.

In case you got cramps while still in the water, the first things you need to do is not to panic. Call for help, stay calm and gently stretch the affected area. Try to paddle towards the shore to make sure that other people will see you. Icing the affected area will help ease the discomfort. You can also relieve the cramped area if you get a good massage.

For more surfing tips, read articles from our blog now!

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