Your Body is a Temple!
Our body is what physically enables us to surf, ski, swim, walk and live the active lives that we could only dream about without it. It gives us the life we know today, but even still it can be extremely hard not to take our body for granted. With our busy lives it can be easy to push aside the importance of healthy living, which is why we need to keep reminding ourselves that our body is a temple!
We are born with a heart that keeps us alive and an intelligent brain which enables us to control our thoughts and movements. Plus, despite having certain demands, our bodies are amazingly forgiving and adaptable. So by looking after ourselves with a healthy lifestyle, we can truly take advantage of our incredible potential. If however we chose to ignore our health, we will be limiting our capabilities throughout our lives.
Healthy Living is for Everyone
To be healthy means eating well, staying hydrated, being physically fit and mentally strong. It is in our nature to want to be healthy as it effects our day to day lives as well as our future. However with certain societal pressures like jobs becoming more demanding but less physical, we need to work harder to stay on top of our health.
Surfing for Fitness
Physical fitness is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle. They say by just walking 20 minutes a day we can reduce our risk of heart disease, increase our lifespan, improve our memory and lose weight. Imagine the benefits of surfing 1-2 hours a day. Surfing has the benefit of being outdoors and in the ocean which is great for clearing your head, especially with that first refreshing duckdive. Surfing is also a great way to stay fit and strong as it perfectly combines endurance with strength and flexibility. Plus it is enjoyable and sociable making it more likely to be sustained.
Healthy Eating as a Way of Life
Healthy eating is not a diet that lasts a couple of months or maybe a year. It should be viewed as a way of life. It is something which needs to be sustainable and definitely enjoyable, to enable us to fully reap the rewards. Luckily for us, with endless delicious recipes online and a wide range of health foods now available at our local supermarkets, healthy eating has never been easier.
Food for Fuel
As surfers, we need to always make sure we have enough energy, so our surfing doesn’t suffer. Carbohydrates are the obvious answer, but the real key is a balanced diet. Carbs for paddle fitness; proteins for pop-up strength; slow-burning healthy fats to keep us going till sunset; vitamins and minerals to keep the cold away; fibrous foods for that healthy gut feeling; and natural sugars to give that extra burst, just when we need it!
Hydration is Everything
Staying hydrated is the best thing we can be doing for our bodies. We are unable to function properly when dehydrated. Our muscles get tired quicker and can cramp up, we can get light headed and even our co-ordination can be affected. When surfing or exercising in general, we use up more water through sweating, making it even more important to stay on top of our water intake.
Top Tip: Save the beers for after the surf!
Mind Over Matter
After a long sunset surf, there is nothing better than popping to the local fish and chippy, and collapsing on the sofa with a beer. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with indulging once in a while, it is important to be able to resist temptations before they become habit. We have found the best way to do this, with food especially, is to plan ahead. For example, if we are going for a late surf we will pop something in the slow cooker beforehand. Planning ahead for your hydration also works well. Having a daily routine of drinking in the morning, before meals, before and after surfing and before bed, makes staying hydrated effortless.
Finding time in our day to exercise can often seem tricky, but by choosing something like surfing, which we can enjoy with our friends, we are more likely to stick with it. Therefore benefiting our health in the long run. Healthy living is a full time job, which if made enjoyable is no chore.
So remember, it’s up to us to look after ourselves as everyone else is busy looking after themselves.
We will be sharing with you all of our favourite pre and post surf recipes, tried and tested strength and exercise training for surf fitness and the latest news in ‘should we be vegan?’, plus an insight into our sustainable living!