Easy Surfer Exercise Routines: Get Surf Fit like Your Favourite Pro-Surfers [2025 Update]

The main reason I am even remotely interested in surfer exercise routines and surf fitness is that I am always ready for the next swell or surf trip. My paddle fitness never waivers, I am in the right headspace and body feels ready to rip when the waves pick up. I can’t overemphasise the importance of surf-specific workouts to enhance strength, mobility, and overall surfing performance. The blog post contains a collection of surf fitness workouts, resources, and equipment that you can use to get yourself surf fit and ready to charge. I cover surf fitness, including balance and stability exercises, core and upper body strength training, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, interval training, functional movements, and apnea training. The article also provides a sample weekly workout routine and showcases exercise programs from professional surfers like Steph Gilmore and Mick Fanning. I will also explain the backstory around my surfing fitness journey.

2025 Update: I got really into surfer exercise routines during COVID because the gyms were closed, hence my collection of my favourite surfer workouts from YouTube. During COVID, I also started going to the Surfer’s Gym here in Sydney which totally changed my approach to surf fitness. Today, I like to mix it up… I do H.I.I.T. classes at my local gym, run, and go to the Surfer’s Gym for movement. When I can’t make it there, I do surf movement workouts in my living room with nothing more than a resistance band and my body weight.

No matter where you are on your surfing journey, you can benefit from surf specific workouts. These surf exercise routine videos will be especially helpful if you’ve been out of the water for a while due to location, lack of surf or injury. You can incorporate these surf workouts to build your strength and mobility and get back to surfing well when you can surf again.

You will see exponential results when you are doing surf fitness workouts and surfing frequently. Since many of us don’t have time to get to the gym everyday, you can throw on a video at home and get moving. The key is not to let responsibilities coupled with aging drag down your surf fitness level. The physical demands of surfing are such that it is more important than ever to stay in shape. So move everyday!

My surf fitness journey draws on inspiration from H.I.I.T. (High intensity interval training), breathwork for surfers, and now the Brazilian disciple of gymnastica naturale and Rodrigo Perez’ Holistica Movement which are body movement disciplines that’s been adapted to help surfers.  During COVID, I followed surf workout program from Luke Stedman and then took surf movement and strength workouts to the next level at the Surfer’s Gym over the next five years.

So whether your training for surf competitions or just learning how to stand up on a surfboard, these surfer exercise routines will help you be ready for more water time in the future. Remember, the key to reaching your goals by developing new habits is to create a system that is customized to your needs.

My Everyday, Quick and Easy Surfer Exercise Routine

If I am short on time and want to keep myself in shape for surfing, my favourite surf fitness workout looks something like this…

First, I do surfing mobility exercises at home and then I take my board down to the beach for the cardio portion. You can also do your mobility exercises at the beach if you have grass and a towel.

20 Minute Surf Mobility and Strength Workout

• Foam roller: Use a foam roller to roll your shoulders, back, hips, and legs. Watch this video about foam roller exercises for surfers to guidance.

Shoulder Exercises for Surfers

• Shoulder mobility with a band: Use band to rotate your shoulders from your hips in the front to hips in the back
• Shoulder clocks: lay on the floor and rotate your shoulders
• Knee duck dives to cobra

Whole Body Mobility Exercises for Surfers

These mobility exercises for surfers, shown by Rod from Holistic Pro Health, are the holy grail of getting your body to feel great for surfing. When I do these 4-5 times per week, I feel absolutely amazing and my turns show it. I’ve added one of my newest favourites which is an Indo Squat to Standing Stretch because being comfortable in an Indo Squat is a game changer for surfing and longevity.

The Indo squat is essential for surfers as it improves balance, mobility, and lower-body strength, all crucial for better control on the board. It enhances hip and ankle flexibility, helping with smooth pop-ups, deeper turns, and injury prevention. Holding this squat builds core stability and mimics the low, engaged stance needed for surfing. Practicing it regularly boosts endurance and keeps surfers agile in and out of the water.

• Elephant – see the video
• Dive Bomber – see the video
• Scorpion to World’s Greatest Stretch – see the video
• Indo Squat to Standing Stretch – Start in an Indo Squat (deep mobility squat) and then extend your legs so that your hands are touching or reaching for the floor with straight legs. Go back down into your Indo Squat and repeat 5-10 times.

Strength Exercises for Surfers

• Pop-ups – My latest pop-up exercise variation is to practice pop-ups without letting your hands leave the ground, which trains you to get your front foot between your hands. If only do one thing everyday, you should be practicing pop-ups. To get started read our guide to improving your pop-up. Do 10-20 pop-ups!

Beach Surfboard Workout

While the weather is warm, a group from our local Boardrider’s club has been doing beach workouts at 6AM that look something like this:

• Paddle out and catch 3 waves within 15 minutes
• Run 200 metres or run up a flight of stairs.
• Paddle back out and catch 1-2 waves.
• Repeat the run or stairs.
• Do the entire set 3-4 times, which usually takes about 40 minutes to an hour.

If you add these surfing exercises together, you’ll smash your surfers fitness goals for that day. I now start everyday with the mobility workout above!

Surf Gym WorkoutS: The World’s BEst SurfEr Gyms

The Surfer’s Gym: Sydney, Australia

This is my home gym and I feel so blessed to have the Surfer’s Gym crew just 15 minutes from my house. The coaches at the Surfer Gym are trained in Holistica Movement and surf apnea. The workouts vary throughout the week but generally include surf cardio/light resistance, strength, movement, mat pilates based surf workouts, and yoga. My favorite classes are heavily movement based and taught by Manly Surf School owner, Matt Grainger. This is a great gym and a warm, inviting community and a sauna and ice bath room to boot.

Salt Performance Training Center: Coolangatta, Australia

Salt Performance Training Center does outdoor surf specific fitness classes on the Gold Coast.  Salt focuses on functional movement, body weight, strength and conditioning training that will help all levels of surfers improve the way they move in and outside the water.

Holistic Pro Health Performance: Coolangatta, Australia

Train with the legend Rodrigo Perez who created Holistica Movement program that we use at Surfer’s Gym. This is one of the best mobility methodologies for surfers that exists. You’ll never feel your hips move better than after doing Holstica Movement for a month, I promise you.

Surf Ready Fitness: Costa Mesa, California

Paul Norris of Surf Ready Fitness in Costa Mesa has the most dynamic and unique surf fitness exercises I’ve ever seen. He seems to have the game dialed in terms of training pros like Kanoa Igarashi, Courtney Conlogue, and Erin Brooks. He also trains the average joe at his Costa Mesa studio focusing on lower-body power and stability, and rotational strength.

Performance Surf: Carlsbad, California

This gym in Northern San Diego focuses on helping surfers improve through strength training.

Fetch Surf Training Centre: CangGu Bali

Fetch is a surf specific gym in Canggu, Bali. They help surfers improve their physical performance and technical capabilities. Join in on one of their signature classes – endurance, flexibility, strength or body control – to prepare you for Bali’s powerful waves! They also have a Smoothstar Surf trainer who can do a one-on-one session with you at Amplitude Skatepark. The coolest part is you can bring your surf stoked grom, all of the classes welcome kid rippers as well!

Building Your Own surf fitness workouts

You’ll notice if you watch the videos below how each surf workout combines elements each section below. No one surfer exercise routine does everything you need for surfing, but you can tailor your training to be more surf oriented by keeping these types of exercises in mind.

1. Balance and Stability Exercises: Wow, I do a lot of lunges at the Surfer’s Gym. It is key to work on your balance and stability to stay upright on your board and be able to attack sections with grace and power. Try incorporating exercises like single-leg squats, stability ball exercises, and balance board training. These exercises not only improve your balance but also help strengthen the muscles used for paddling and riding waves. Balance and stability exercises also help prevent common surfing injuries.
2. Core Strength: A strong core is crucial for surfing, as it helps you maintain control and stability on the board. Include exercises like dead bugs with the swiss ball, planks, Russian twists, and crucnhes to strengthen your core muscles. A strong core also helps prevent injuries and improves overall athletic performance, especially paddling.
3. Upper Body Strength: Improve your paddling power with exercises that target your upper body. Push-ups, pull-ups, ring rows, and shoulder presses are great for building upper body strength. At the Surfer Gym, we have purpose built paddle machines for cardio fitness, but a standard rowing machine is also a great way to train for surfing. Strengthening these muscles will help you paddle out to the lineup faster and catch more waves. Read our guide to building paddle strength for surfing.
4. Cardiovascular Fitness: Surfing requires endurance, especially when paddling out through waves or riding long waves. Improve your stamina with cardiovascular exercises like running, cycling, or swimming. These exercises will increase your lung capacity and overall endurance, allowing you to surf for longer periods without getting fatigued.
5. Flexibility and Mobility: Stay flexible and mobile to move freely on your board. Stretch regularly to improve flexibility in your hamstrings, hips, and shoulders. Incorporating movement, yoga or Pilates into your routine can also help improve your flexibility, mobility, and core strength, which are all essential for surfing. I especially love animal movement flows.
6. Interval Training: Mimic the intensity of surfing with interval training. Alternate between high-intensity bursts of activity and rest periods to improve your overall fitness. Using an Assault bike, paddle machine, or rower and alternating 30-40 seconds of 80-90 efforts with 20 seconds of rest is a great way to simulate paddling back out through the line-up. This type of training can help improve your cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and strength, all of which are important for surfing.
7. Functional Movements: Focus on exercises that mimic the movements you’ll do while surfing. Squats, lunges, and deadlifts are great for building lower body strength, which is important for generating speed and power on the wave. Incorporate these exercises into your routine when you have trained with a professional to learn proper form. Nothing will get you out of the water faster than an injury. Single leg balance is another thing that all surfer exercise routines should focus on.
8. Apnea Training: My favorite thing in the world is to incorporate short breath holds with aerobic training. I find that just a few reps of holding my breath while doing something like a farmer carry (carrying two relatively heavy kettlebells for 10 meters or so) drastically improves my static breath hold. Learn more about how I do to do Apnea training for surfers.

Remember to tailor your workouts to your fitness level and consult with a fitness professional before starting any new surfer exercise routine. Incorporating these pro surfer exercise routines into your fitness regimen can help improve your surf fitness and take your surfing to the next level.

Sample weekly workout routine for Surfing

Monday: Surf cardio

Tuesday: Strength

Wednesday: Mobility

Thursday: Body weight strength and mobility

Friday: Surf cardio

Saturday: Yoga

Sunday: free day – surf or rest!

Of course, anytime you surf, you can usually skip your workout or just go through a mobility routine.

How to get Surf fit like your favorite pro-surfers

Blackball Challenge on WSL Wellness Week

This was the Sea Hearts Surf Club surf workout de jour during COVID.  I did Luke Steadman’s program for the last three weeks because I am focusing on increased hip and leg mobility and empowering my core to avoid back pain.  Luke combines jitsu and gimnastica naturale moves to create surf specific workouts.  This is the work out Luke does for the WSL crew but you can also check out the Blackball Challenge which is the 30 day program I’ve been doing during quarantine.

Steph Gilmore’s GIF Surf Workout on Vogue

Watch Sea Hearts’ fav, seven time World Champion professional women’s surfer Steph Gilmore show us a simple seven-move circuit that emphasizes single leg strength (critical to all surf workouts) and even demos the Upper Russian Twist that you see Bethany Hamiliton doing over and over in her movie.

Mick Fanning’s At-Home Surf Workout

See what Mick did before every single surf competition and that you can do at home to build your surf fitness. Gets the blood flowing, looses tightness, and will give you a pre-surf boost of energy.

High Intensity Training with Hawaiian Pro Surfer Koa Rothman 

For those of you who feel like going hard with your surf fitness today, try this workout.

2 Minutes of Surf Mobility with Jordy Smith

Like I’ve said before on Instagram, a major component of surfer exercise routines is mobility.  So grab your foam roller and tennis ball and work out all your tight spots.  Jordy also talks about his pre-surf competition approach. Check out Jordy Smith’s surfer exercise routine workout video.

Pro Surfer Coco Ho shows us her surfer exercise Routine

Check out Coco’s morning food and coffee routine and her favorite surf specific exercises that she does at home.  Personally, I am super into the abductor stretch she does at the moment!

There you are! Enough surf workouts to keep you surf fit to the end of quarantine and beyond! Also, check out our Instagram for more quick, surf-oriented exercises!

The Best Surf Fitness Instagram Accounts to Follow

1. Surfer’s Gym – I am a bit biased here, but the Surfer’s Gym has changed my fitness, surfing, and life. Matt and Felipe post heaps of good content, but if you are in Sydney you should come check it out for yourself.
2. Surf Blackball – Luke Stedman’s Instagram is full of surf tips and training ideas.
3. Surf Ready Fitness – this California based gym trains pro-surfers as they stop by to surf Trestles. This account has great tutorial videos of specific workouts you can do.

Where Should You Do Your Surfer’s Exercise Routine?

When there’s no global pandemic on, your options for staying surf fit abound. Surfer exercise routines can be done in various locations including while you are traveling. Whether you prefer the convenience of home workouts or the energy of group classes, there are options to suit every surfer’s needs. Here’s a look at where you can train and what you’ll need for a surfer exercise routine:

1. Home Gym:
Training at home offers convenience and flexibility, allowing you to work out on your schedule. To create a surfer-focused workout space, you’ll need basic equipment such as dumbbells, resistance bands, a stability ball, a jump rope, and a yoga mat. You could probably set up an entire gym from Amazon for less than $300. Incorporate surf-specific exercises like interval training, balance and single leg training, and strength exercises to improve your surfing skills.

2. Outdoor Spaces:
Take advantage of outdoor spaces like parks, beaches, or trails for a refreshing workout. Running or cycling on beachfront paths can improve your cardiovascular fitness and leg strength, beneficial for paddling and maneuvering on the board. Outdoor spaces also provide a natural setting for balance and agility training.

3. Fitness Studios:
Best: you have a surf specific gym in your town we like do. Good: finding classes at gyms that specifically address the elements of surf fitness. Fitness studios offer a variety of classes that can complement your surfer exercise routine. Look for classes that focus on strength, flexibility, and balance, such as yoga, Pilates, or functional fitness. These classes can help improve your overall fitness and enhance your surfing performance by targeting key muscle groups.

4. Surf Camps and Schools:
Surf camps and schools often offer surf-specific fitness programs designed to improve your surfing skills. These programs typically include a mix of strength training, cardiovascular exercises, and balance work tailored to surfers’ needs. Attending a surf camp or school can provide a focused environment to enhance your fitness and surfing technique.

5. Online Workouts:
Online platforms offer a convenient way to access surfer exercise routines from anywhere. Look for online programs or videos that cater to surfers, offering a mix of strength, flexibility, and balance exercises (like Blackball above). Many online platforms also provide guidance on surf-specific workouts and drills to improve your surfing performance.

6. Gym or Fitness Centers:
Gyms and fitness centers offer a wide range of equipment and classes to support your surfer exercise routine. Look for gyms with functional fitness areas that include equipment like TRX suspension trainers, balance boards, and stability balls. Group fitness classes like HIIT, circuit training, or strength training can also complement your surfing fitness.

7. Personal Training:
Working with a personal trainer can provide personalized guidance and support for your surfer exercise routine. A trainer can create a customized workout plan tailored to your fitness level and surfing goals, ensuring you’re targeting the right muscle groups and progressing safely.

8. Beach Workouts:
Training directly on the beach can enhance your surfing fitness by simulating the conditions of surfing. Incorporate sand sprints, agility drills, and balance exercises into your routine to improve your strength, speed, and balance on the board. Beach workouts also offer the added benefit of being outdoors, providing a scenic and invigorating training environment.

No matter where you choose to train, consistency and dedication are key to improving your surfing performance. Incorporate a mix of strength, flexibility, and balance exercises into your routine to target the specific muscle groups used in surfing. By tailoring your workouts to enhance your surfing skills, you can take your performance to the next level and enjoy the waves to the fullest.

Equipment for at Home Surf Workouts

With just this basic equipment, you can create an at home surf gym. When I travel, I usually take a jump rope, resistance band, and a tennis ball with me for an on-the-go workout and stretching routine. At home, it is nice to have a swiss ball, foam roller, balance board, and suspension trainer on hand to really get after it,

Jump rope

Swiss ball

Foam Roller

Balance Board

Resistance band

Suspension trainer

Get Surf Fit

Now you’ve basically got no excuse for being unfit for surfing. You’ve got workouts you can do at home, at the beach, or in the gym. You can get your own basic surf fitness equipment or just use body weight , but either way you are the one who stands to win! While you are working on your surf fitness, try out basic on-land breathwork for surfers and learn how to overcome a fear of big waves.