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15 October 2024 / Written by Rachel

Top Stretches for Improving Your Paddling

How To

Paddling out can be a serious workout, and it can take its toll on your body. But, it’s also a key part of surfing, and keeping your paddling movements strong and fluid in the water can make all the difference when you’re trying to catch a wave! So what’s the solution? 

For female surfers, improving back and shoulder mobility and strength is essential for better paddling performance. It helps you paddle more efficiently and reduces the risk of injury. Your back and shoulders do a lot of work getting you out to the lineup, and they can get tired quickly. It’s important to take good care of them and keep them well-stretched and mobile. 

In this blog, we’ll explore the best ways to improve your paddling with a handful of simple but effective stretches specifically designed to increase flexibility and strength in your shoulders and back. Including stretches in your surfing routine will not only help you paddle more powerfully but will also keep you surfing for longer!

At Women + Waves, we recommend these 3 stretches demonstrated by our expert in-house coach Kitty – they’ll help increase flexibility and mobility and focus on creating space in the shoulders as well as the upper spine, preventing injuries and improving your paddling skills! We recommend stretching every time you go surfing either before or after your session for ultimate surfing success and body well-being! 

Surf Stretch Number 1 – Interlaced Hands Forward Fold 

This move is great for stretching out your shoulders and lower back, as well as your hamstrings and glutes. 

Stretching Steps – 

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and clasp your hands together behind your back interlacing your fingers if it’s comfortable. 
  2. Straighten your arms pushing your knuckles down towards the floor, and try to keep the heels of your hands and wrists together. 
  3. Inhale deeply lifting your chin and opening up through your chest.
  4. As you exhale, bend forward, hinging at the hips with a slight bend in the knees.
  5. Tuck your chin into your chest as you raise your hands over your head, palms up to the sky.
  6. Relax your head and neck as you feel the stretch through your shoulders and the back of your legs.
  7. Try to hold the pose for at least 30 seconds, breathing deeply.
  8. Inhale to slowly come up and release your arms. 
Interlaced Hands Forward Fold

Surf Stretch Number 2 – Wrist Hold Standing Side Stretch

This is a great stretch for your shoulders and obliques, and feels so good as part of a morning stretch-out routine! 

Stretching Steps – 

  1. Standing straight with your feet hip-width apart inhale deeply and raise both hands above your head lengthening through the body. 
  2. Take your right wrist gently with your left hand.
  3. As you exhale, reach up and over, gently pulling your right wrist up with your hand, and lengthening your torso along the right-hand side. 
  4. Try to keep both feet evenly weighted on the floor and don’t tilt forward or back, keep your head and neck straight and relaxed. 
  5. Inhale to draw yourself back up to the centre and release your wrist. 
  6. Repeat on your left side grasping your left wrist gently with your right hand. 
Wrist Hold Standing Side Stretch

Surf Stretch Number 3 – Eagle Arm Stretch 

The Eagle Arm stretch stretches out both your arms and your shoulders and brings space into your upper back.

Stretching Steps – 

  1. Standing or sitting with your back straight bring your arms in front of you.
  2. Raise your right arm up and over your left, crossing over at the elbows.  
  3. From here you have 2 options – you can wrap your forearms around yourself in a cuddle or keep wrapping your forearms until you can press your palms together. 
  4. Take a deep breath in, and raise your elbows, feeling the stretch along your upper back and shoulders. 
  5. Then drop the elbows, drop your chin to your chest and take a few moments here to breathe. 
  6. When you’re ready, unravel your arms, shake them out and then start again on the other side – this time lifting your left arm up and over your right. 
Eagle Arm Stretch

You can do these stretches before or after surfing, although we recommend doing dynamic stretches pre-surf for warm-ups. Then longer slower stretches holding for at least thirty seconds post-surf. You can do these in or out of your wetsuit depending on whatever is more comfortable for you! 

There you have it, 3 great stretches to improve your mobility, flexibility and all-round body well-being. Do you have any stretches you do post-surf to keep your body happy? We’d love to hear them!

 

Want to learn more?

Click here to improve your mobility for surfing

Click here to stay surf fit

Click here for post-surf yoga stretches

Author

Rachel

We're an all-female surf collective. We offer surf coaching weekends and international surfing holidays to women of all ages, experiences and backgrounds. Enjoy our online coaching tips, blog, surf society members’ discussion group and surfing workshops, and we have a shop jam-packed with Women + Waves merchandise.