Most of us would like to enjoy surfing right up to our ‘use by date’ or beyond. However, as we get older it doesn’t get any easier to meet those goals.
Increased family and work commitments can reduce our water time and joint stiffness / wear-n-tear injuries impact on our fitness and flexibility. Also muscle mass starts to decline after age 40.
While it is difficult to continue surfing as you get older, it can be done. The lads in the next photo are testament to that!
Photo: 2018 Yal Mal over 70s contestants at Yallingup beach. Bruce King pic.
L-R. Graham Walmsley, Tony Harrison, Wes and Mick Marlin
Image: 2018 Pension day at Yallingup. Photo by Bevan Carr.
Mick Marlin – The veteran surfers in this photo have 500 years of combined surfing experience between them. Their injuries include 10 buggered knees, 5 buggered hips,1 dodgy heart, 3 SWP’s (Surfers without Prostates), 5 crook shoulders and other miscellaneous ailments. But they are still a good lookin’ bunch. Happy 69th birthday Bruce King in white t-shirt.
L-R Ian ‘Prive’ Morris, Mike Bibby, Steve Carr, Louie Corkill, Bruce King, Mitch, Rich Myers, Mick Marlin, Jim King & Barry Day.
To help us get over some of life’s road bumps SDS asked SW surfers Craig Hitchens (Natural Therapies Dunsborough) and Jackie Clarke (Yoga teacher Busselton and Dunsborough) for tips on how to stay surf fit and healthy in later years.
This surfing health and fitness series will run in two parts: –
Part 1. Health and Nutrition by Craig Hitchens; and
Part 2. The five best exercises for surfing longevityby Jackie Clarke
Photo: 2013 Craig Hitchens surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Surfing is one of those activities that is both really good for you…and a little bad too. As we age our powers of recovery diminish a bit and so those long sessions in the ocean paddling, riding waves and getting belted by big sets etc can take its toll on your body. You start to notice little niggles can soon become painful inflammations. Generally most blokes don’t like to admit they’re getting older either so we tend to push it when we really should rest a little. I know we are all guilty of that one. The main thing to be aware of for the aging surfer is to feed the body well, treat the body well and rest when you need to.
For example let’s start with food and nutrition. The foods you eat will reflect in your body’s condition. If you eat crap, you’ll feel crap, have lowered energy, sleep poorly and ache and so on. Eat well and you generally tend to feel well. As a general guideline aim to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and a couple of bits of fruit daily. These are loaded with antioxidants that help clear out the free radicals and other inflammatory agents produced by physical exertion as well as containing lots of much needed minerals and vitamins all of which contribute to a well-functioning body generally. Excessive intake of processed foods like chips, fried foods, sugary junk, processed grains like white bread, white rice, white pasta, poor quality dairy etc will all feed inflammatory responses in the body and just lead to disharmony and imbalances that cause you to miss good surf time. Make the choice to eat good food and reap the rewards. Unprocessed organics is a good place to start.
Stay well hydrated. Drink plenty of fresh water and make sure you’re having plenty before and after you surf. Dehydration contributes greatly to inflammations and pain in the body as well as lowered energy levels. Aim for 2-3 litre per day. If you like coconut water, that is even better as it contains all the electrolytes you require for proper hydration. This helps ward off the cramps, helps restore energy reserves and aids recovery from exertion. Just the ticket after a big day at Yalls!
Eat good quality proteins. Whether you are a veg, vegan or like a bit of meat, getting enough good quality proteins is important as you age. Proteins contain amino acids and these are the building blocks of our cellular repair mechanisms, tissues, GUT lining, immune system and more. Proteins also help maintain even blood sugar levels and are also used in the body’s natural production of anti-inflammatory hormones and the like. Stick with free range organic meats if you’re into meat, to be sure you’re not getting hormone filled garbage. Vegos and Vegans needs to be aware of getting plenty of variety of pulses, legumes, nuts, grains, seeds etc to ensure they are getting complete proteins otherwise there is a bit of a risk of nutritional deficiency. Again go for organics to ensure you’re getting best quality.
Certain herbs like, Turmeric, Ginger and others help reduce inflammation and support circulation. This is important for recovery after surfing and for life generally. Nutritional supplements like Glutamine are great for aging surfer as it helps with muscle recovery and is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It’s used in GUT lining, muscle repair, immune system and more. We produce it naturally but production diminishes with age so a little professionally guided supplementation might be just the trick if you’re feeling a bit lack lustre. Another favourite of mine is Collagen. Collagen is a signaling protein in the body meaning it helps to trigger off tissue repair. This is the protein the body naturally creates to use in joint tissue and connective tissues, skin, nails, GUT, muscles and more. A bit of this helps keep the body going too. If you are thinking of going down the nutritional route then I suggest you use the services of a naturopath or nutritionist to guide you along so as to ensure best outcomes and value for money.
Get a massage! Remedial massage / myotherapy is great for aging surfers as it really helps iron out the knots and assists the lymphatics and circulation generally in maintaining optimal well-being. It has been shown to reduce injury healing time, improve mobility, improve strength, flexibility and reduces stress and general tension build up. Pretty sure we all know what it’s like to have that ache between the shoulder blades right, remedial massage works well at helping to relieve that. When done regularly, remedial massage / myotherapy is a useful preventative to injury and certainly aids in improving surf time quality for us older fellas. A good routine is to drop in for a session of remedial massage therapy / myotherapy about every 2-4 weeks. You’ll notice the difference.
Get moving between surfs! Yoga is great for keeping the body moving and all the body systems functioning as they should. We tend to use our bodies in a very specific way when we surf and this means that we tend to over use certain muscles and under use others. We need to balance out our bodily strengths and weaknesses this creates in order to avoid losing our range of movement, strength and to avoid pain and problems later. But I’ll leave that to Jackie to explain, this is her field of expertise.
See you in the water!
A big thank you to Craig for his tips on Health and Nutrition.
Coming soon Part 2.The five best exercises for surfing longevityby Jackie Clarke
Most of us would like to enjoy surfing right up to our ‘use by date’ or beyond. However, as we get older it doesn’t get any easier to meet those goals.
Increased family and work commitments can reduce our water time and joint stiffness / wear-n-tear injuries impact on our fitness and flexibility. Also muscle mass starts to decline after age 40.
While it is difficult to continue surfing as you get older, it can be done. The lads in the next photo are testament to that!
Photo: 2018 Yal Mal over 70s contestants at Yallingup beach. Bruce King pic.
L-R. Graham Walmsley, Tony Harrison, Wes and Mick Marlin
Image: 2018 Pension day at Yallingup. Photo by Bevan Carr.
Mick Marlin – The veteran surfers in this photo have 500 years of combined surfing experience between them. Their injuries include 10 buggered knees, 5 buggered hips,1 dodgy heart, 3 SWP’s (Surfers without Prostates), 5 crook shoulders and other miscellaneous ailments. But they are still a good lookin’ bunch. Happy 69th birthday Bruce King in white t-shirt.
L-R Ian ‘Prive’ Morris, Mike Bibby, Steve Carr, Louie Corkill, Bruce King, Mitch, Rich Myers, Mick Marlin, Jim King & Barry Day.
To help us get over some of life’s road bumps SDS asked SW surfers Craig Hitchens (Natural Therapies Dunsborough) and Jackie Clarke (Yoga teacher Busselton and Dunsborough) for tips on how to stay surf fit and healthy in later years.
This surfing health and fitness series will run in two parts: –
Part 1. Health and Nutrition by Craig Hitchens; and
Part 2. The five best exercises for surfing longevity by Jackie Clarke
Part 1. Health and Nutrition by Craig Hitchens
Craig runs Craig Hitchens Therapies in Dunsborough
Photo: 2013 Craig Hitchens surfing Yallingup. Bruce King pic.
Surfing is one of those activities that is both really good for you…and a little bad too. As we age our powers of recovery diminish a bit and so those long sessions in the ocean paddling, riding waves and getting belted by big sets etc can take its toll on your body. You start to notice little niggles can soon become painful inflammations. Generally most blokes don’t like to admit they’re getting older either so we tend to push it when we really should rest a little. I know we are all guilty of that one. The main thing to be aware of for the aging surfer is to feed the body well, treat the body well and rest when you need to.
For example let’s start with food and nutrition. The foods you eat will reflect in your body’s condition. If you eat crap, you’ll feel crap, have lowered energy, sleep poorly and ache and so on. Eat well and you generally tend to feel well. As a general guideline aim to eat plenty of fresh vegetables and a couple of bits of fruit daily. These are loaded with antioxidants that help clear out the free radicals and other inflammatory agents produced by physical exertion as well as containing lots of much needed minerals and vitamins all of which contribute to a well-functioning body generally. Excessive intake of processed foods like chips, fried foods, sugary junk, processed grains like white bread, white rice, white pasta, poor quality dairy etc will all feed inflammatory responses in the body and just lead to disharmony and imbalances that cause you to miss good surf time. Make the choice to eat good food and reap the rewards. Unprocessed organics is a good place to start.
Stay well hydrated. Drink plenty of fresh water and make sure you’re having plenty before and after you surf. Dehydration contributes greatly to inflammations and pain in the body as well as lowered energy levels. Aim for 2-3 litre per day. If you like coconut water, that is even better as it contains all the electrolytes you require for proper hydration. This helps ward off the cramps, helps restore energy reserves and aids recovery from exertion. Just the ticket after a big day at Yalls!
Eat good quality proteins. Whether you are a veg, vegan or like a bit of meat, getting enough good quality proteins is important as you age. Proteins contain amino acids and these are the building blocks of our cellular repair mechanisms, tissues, GUT lining, immune system and more. Proteins also help maintain even blood sugar levels and are also used in the body’s natural production of anti-inflammatory hormones and the like. Stick with free range organic meats if you’re into meat, to be sure you’re not getting hormone filled garbage. Vegos and Vegans needs to be aware of getting plenty of variety of pulses, legumes, nuts, grains, seeds etc to ensure they are getting complete proteins otherwise there is a bit of a risk of nutritional deficiency. Again go for organics to ensure you’re getting best quality.
Certain herbs like, Turmeric, Ginger and others help reduce inflammation and support circulation. This is important for recovery after surfing and for life generally. Nutritional supplements like Glutamine are great for aging surfer as it helps with muscle recovery and is the most abundant amino acid in the body. It’s used in GUT lining, muscle repair, immune system and more. We produce it naturally but production diminishes with age so a little professionally guided supplementation might be just the trick if you’re feeling a bit lack lustre. Another favourite of mine is Collagen. Collagen is a signaling protein in the body meaning it helps to trigger off tissue repair. This is the protein the body naturally creates to use in joint tissue and connective tissues, skin, nails, GUT, muscles and more. A bit of this helps keep the body going too. If you are thinking of going down the nutritional route then I suggest you use the services of a naturopath or nutritionist to guide you along so as to ensure best outcomes and value for money.
Get a massage! Remedial massage / myotherapy is great for aging surfers as it really helps iron out the knots and assists the lymphatics and circulation generally in maintaining optimal well-being. It has been shown to reduce injury healing time, improve mobility, improve strength, flexibility and reduces stress and general tension build up. Pretty sure we all know what it’s like to have that ache between the shoulder blades right, remedial massage works well at helping to relieve that. When done regularly, remedial massage / myotherapy is a useful preventative to injury and certainly aids in improving surf time quality for us older fellas. A good routine is to drop in for a session of remedial massage therapy / myotherapy about every 2-4 weeks. You’ll notice the difference.
Get moving between surfs! Yoga is great for keeping the body moving and all the body systems functioning as they should. We tend to use our bodies in a very specific way when we surf and this means that we tend to over use certain muscles and under use others. We need to balance out our bodily strengths and weaknesses this creates in order to avoid losing our range of movement, strength and to avoid pain and problems later. But I’ll leave that to Jackie to explain, this is her field of expertise.
See you in the water!
A big thank you to Craig for his tips on Health and Nutrition.
Coming soon Part 2. The five best exercises for surfing longevity by Jackie Clarke
Baz Young – Being old is not for sooks!
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