Bodyboarding is a “complete” surfing water sport. It requires the use of the whole body, although depending on your level of riding, you may need to be more mindful and condition different muscle groups.
The leg muscles are the first group you’ll want to condition. It is used for swimming from the shore to where the waves break, paddling in the waves, and also as a lever to turn while riding the waves. Leg position and movement during high performance bodyboard tricks are also used to control momentum. The lack of strength or resistance in the legs makes the surf session very short.
I include feet here because you can sometimes get foot cramps when swimming. In my experience, this is usually an effect of bodyboard fins not fitting properly or leg muscles stiffening from overuse or exhaustion, which in turn pulls on the foot muscles.
The arms are typically used for paddling, although not as exclusively as in traditional surfing. Personally, I use arm paddling primarily to give my legs a break from kicking during long “paddle starts” or to get extra speed boosts when paddling for a wave. Arm strength will also be needed to perform advanced bodyboarding maneuvers that are unique to this water sport, as you must hold onto your board while flipping, twisting, turning, sometimes all at the same time, and falling out of the sky when doing aerial moves. .
Since most riders will spend the majority of their time lying flat on their stomach on the bodyboard, the “ab” muscles need to be able to support and direct your body weight. Plus, when performing advanced maneuvers like airs, spins, ARS, and flips, you’ll be in free fall on your stomach. Strong abdominal muscles will help keep the wind from hitting you and the quick recovery you’ll make ensures you don’t lose speed at impact.
Weak stomach muscles will also put additional responsibility on your back muscles to absorb the impact of hard landings. If you find that you have recurring back pain after doing advanced bodyboarding moves, I can tell you firsthand that improving your abdominal strength will likely reduce or eliminate your back problems.
This brings us to the last group of muscles I will talk about… the muscles of the back. You should have a strong back regardless of your skill level, but advanced moves require lots of twists, bows, and body English that can only be achieved with a strong, flexible back.
So now that you know what muscles to condition for this water sport, it’s time to start enjoying the wide world of surfing. Grab a board and fins, head out and have a great body boarding session. Enjoy!