HEALTH

Tired of pounding the pavement around your neighborhood twice a day for cardio? So over the sweaty machines at the gym? Me too, sistah! I was so stoked when GL hooked me up with some surf lessons at O.C. Groms Surf School in my fave vacay spot, Ocean City, MD.

Exercise may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of surfing but you’d be surprised at how strenuous it really is. I have a newfound admiration for the girls of Blue Crush. My day started early at 7:45 A.M. where we suited up at the surf shop with wetsuits (which look totally silly, by the way!). After that, we had to carry our boards across the street and down a block to the surf beach, which is much harder than it sounds. Those boards can get heavy!

Next came my quick overview on the sand with my instructor Casey, of surf safety and the basics. We practiced popping up on land, which was pretty easy. After I got the go-ahead from Casey, I attached my leash to my ankle and headed out into the waves.

This is where it stopped being so easy. The instructors tell you to hold your board under your arm around the nose (the tip of the board), and dive under waves as they break. My problem? Weak upper arms, so the board would just get pulled out of them and I’d have to go pull it in and try again. Surfing was def a great cardio workout—you really start breathing hard diving through all those waves.

I was a little discouraged the first few times when I couldn’t stand on the board, but after about 45 minutes into the two hour lesson, I got it. I couldn’t wait for more. My attitude changed instantly from “When will this be over?!”, to “When’s the next class? Sign me up!”

What did I learn from my morning with Casey and the waves? Don’t knock it ‘til you try it, and practice makes perfect! I highly recommend that you try surfing, even if it’s just a one-time drop in class while you’re on vacay. It’s totally fun and inspiring!

by Jaime Sunday | 2/1/2016