Three tips to improve your Surf Trip from Nam Baldwin

Nam Baldwin is a Peak Performance Specialist with a passion for Emotional & Physiological Intelligence, in short that means he can seriously help to improve your performance in all that you do by working on 2 intricately link factors very much in your control, your body and your mind.

A week on the boat with Nam in 2015 will absolutely change your life however here are three little tips that can assist you in having a better experience on your very next surf adventure.

NUTRITION

When you go on a surf trip and the waves are pumping, there’s no doubt you’ll be wanting to maximise your time in the water, keep your energy levels high & your decision making ability at it’s peak.  In order to achieve this you must keep your blood sugar levels stable, if you don’t, there’s a good chance you’ll be back on the boat exhausted before everyone else.  Not eating regularly is a form of stress & will make you more prone to injuries or breaking down (just like a car that runs out of fuel) and it will seriously slow down your recovery.   As hard as it might be at times, come in from the surf, have a snack & re-hydrate & get back out there once it’s digested!!

If the waves are pumping you do not want to eat a meal too close to paddling out.  Your digestive system breaks food down and delivers nutrients to every cell in the body via your bloodstream.  Your bloodstream also carries oxygen around your body.  If you eat too close to surfing, a good portion of your blood will be busy pooling in your stomach to help with digestion, this will have you feeling really bloated and make high heart rate & breath hold situations very uncomfortable.

If you can join the Live Well Trip in September 2015, my nutrition consultations will focus on your specific blood type and genotype and I will tell you what foods are the BEST (and worst) to help you maintain a peak state in all that you do.

2. THE PHYSICAL BODY

As well as loosening and stretching before a surf (I will show the routines of a World Champ on The Live Well 2015 trip!), this simple activity will activate parts of your brain that control balance, whilst activating receptors on your feet that allow good rail to rail surfing. 1. Stand on one leg
2. Bend the other leg at the knee and bring knee just higher than your waist, activating your core.
3. Watch a peeling wave or a surfer on the wave using only your eyes to track the wave i.e. keep the rest of your head and next still.
4. Repeat on other leg.  It’s also a great time to visualise how you would be tearing apart that wave!

3. EMOTION

Each time you paddle out the back, use that time wisely to get yourself into a peak state both physically & mentally.  Whether you are challenged because the surf is big, because someone just dropped in on you or because you just wiped out, what you do next is going to set the tone for the rest of your surf.  The breath can be used to restore balance to the body & mind simultaneously.   I could write a book about the breath but the most simple tip I can give you is to breathe with rhythm.  You can do this by counting in your mind, if you take a 4-count to breathe in, then take a 4-count to breathe out.  At a high heart rate you can expect your count to be lower than when your are relaxed, but you apply the exact same concept no matter what state you are in.  Focus on lengthening the count as the heart rate drops and balance is restored.  A more rhythmic heart beat minimises internal stress on the nervous system, allowing greater control & performance mentally & physically.