THE LONGEVITY LINEUP: A Masterclass for Surfing Waves after 40 and Beyond! - Part 1 (a 4 Part Series)

In your 20s, you can treat your body like a rental car, run it hard, park it messy, and it’ll still start the next morning. But surfing in your 40s and 50s? That’s like maintaining a classic vintage Porsche. It’s faster, has more soul, and commands more respect, but if you don’t grease the hinges and warm up the engine, something is going to snap.

The effects of surfing aren't necessarily a single injury; it’s the cumulative result of stiffening joints, tired muscles, and fading reaction times. To keep shredding, we have to stop training for beach muscles and start training for mechanical longevity.

The "Surfer’s Hunch" and the Shoulder Fix

One of the biggest threat to the seasoned surfer is the hunched posture: The result of decades of sitting at desks combined with the repetitive motion of paddling. This tightens the chest and weakens the back, leading to shoulder pain, especially with overhead motions, reaching behind the back, or sleeping. It is common in athletes or workers performing repetitive lifting.

The Band Solution: This is where resistance bands become your best friend, mine are orange :) Unlike heavy weights, bands provide a smooth tension that strengthens the stabilizing muscles of the rotator cuff without overtaxing the joint.

• The Band Face-Pull: Anchor a band at eye level. Pull it toward your forehead, pulling the ends apart. This pins your shoulder blades back where they belong, opening up your chest for a more powerful paddle stroke. Think as if you're trying to grip a pencil between them. My buddy and fitness instructor Matt Lawrence at Ironman Fitness in Exeter, NH told me that.

• Simulated Paddling on Swiss Ball or Weight Bench: Lie prone on a ball/bench and perform alternating arm strokes with a resistance bands connected to a post, keeping your chin tucked and shoulders back. I arch my back as well to simulate paddling.

• Standing Internal/External Rotation: Using a resistance band anchored to a door or post, keep your elbow tucked into your side at 90 degrees and rotate your arm toward (internal) or away from (external) your body. you may want to hold a towel under your elbow against your body to isolate the movement.

The Pop-Up: Moving from Strength to Snap

When we age, we don't just lose muscle, we lose explosivity. A slow pop-up in your 50s is often the difference between a clean line and a face plant at "The Wall" in Hampton.

If your pop-up feels clunky or you find yourself dragging a knee, it’s rarely a lack of arm strength. It’s usually frozen hips. When your hips are tight, your body can’t swing your feet under your center of gravity, forcing your lower back to do the heavy lifting. I try to do these every morning when I wake up.

Mobility Exercises:

(I try to do these every morning

• 90/90 Hip Switches: Sit on the floor, knees bent at 90 degrees. Rotate them from side to side without lifting your butt. This oils the hip sockets.

• Deep Squat Hold: Stand with feet shoulder width apart and lower down as deeply as possible, keeping your heels on the ground. Hold for 30 seconds, repeat a couple of times.

• Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneel on your right knee on a mat or floor. Place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you, with your knee bent at a 90 degree angle. Keep your back straight, chest up, and hands on your hips. Gently push your hips forward while keeping your back upright. You should feel a stretch in the front of the right hip. Squeeze the glute (buttock muscle) of the knee that is on the floor to increase the stretch. Maintain the stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times on each side.

• The Cobra to Down Dog: This classic yoga move mimics the pop-up perfectly. It stretches the the front of your body while waking up your core.

The "Pre-Suit" Ritual

Before you even pull on your 4/3 or 3/2 wetsuit, you need a 5 minute movement window. Jumping into cold water with cold muscles is a recipe for injury. (the water right now is a balmy 38 degrees F!)

1. Arm Circles (Large to Small): Get the blood flowing.

2. Standing Cat-Cow: Wake up the spine.

3. Band Pull-Aparts: Fire up the rear delts so they’re ready for the first paddle out.

4. Repeat any of the mobility exercise from the previous section.

The Takeaway

Surfing through middle age isn't about fighting time; it’s about outsmarting it. By focusing on mobility and shoulder stability, you aren't just preventing injury, you’re actually making your surfing more fluid. You might not be as bouncy as the young guns at Rye Rocks, but with a mobile spine and stable shoulders, you’ll be much more graceful.

Part One:
Why Mobility
is the New
High-Performance