Surfing is a sport that knows no age. Kelly Slater is an example of a surfer who at 45 years old is still at the top of the competition. Four years ago, the British National Health Service began prescribing surfing lessons on the Cornish and Devon coasts for young people between the ages of 12 and 25 who were suffering from depression. And the fact is that surfing is health. It stimulates the brain and makes it more resilient, so why not try it?
The following is a list of the benefits that surfing has on our health.
- Surfing promotes concentration, as it requires you to be aware of everything around you, the waves, the currents, the other surfers … the need to maintain concentration in an environment that you do not master is essential.
- Surfing reduces stress by getting you to disconnect from your daily problems and makes you concentrate only on the waves and the environment around you.
- Surfing charges us with positive energy and becomes a great anti-stress therapy.
- Surfing is super fun
- It challenges our brain. Surfing requires learning and memorizing. Something that challenges our brain and serves as an accelerated training that forces our brain to overcome the challenges it faces.
- It encourages the desire to excel and the fighting spirit.
- It strengthens the cardio respiratory system. Surfing is an aerobic activity combined with some anaerobic work (physical exercise involving brief activities based on strength).
- It improves balance, coordination and flexibility. Surfing requires that the movements we make are coordinated and will require balance to keep us on the board.
- It tones the muscle groups of the arms and back, as well as the abdominals, lumbar and buttocks.
- It is also a highly recommended activity for people with mental or intellectual disabilities.
Conclusion on surfing and health
According to Dr. José Manuel Moltó “It is important to train and stimulate the brain because, over time, a greater number of connections implies a greater cognitive reserve, which allows our brain to be more resistant to the deterioration of age or the symptoms of neurological diseases. Moreover, the richer our life and the more different experiences we have, the more likely we are to reach an age with a healthy brain.”
Apart from the ironic post in which we listed 5 reasons why not to start surfing, we see nothing but benefits in the practice of this centenary sport that has already become an Olympic sport