Get on board with surfing-inspired fitness classes in Dubai

A series of simple yet effective exercises are being offered as part of Surf Dubai's new surf conditioning classes.

Instructor Pavlina Haralambous, right, leads a surf fitness class at Surf House Dubai. Sarah Dea / The National

Paddling out, hauling yourself up onto a surfboard quickly enough to catch a wave, balancing to avoid wiping out on an unstable and unpredictable surface, then hauling your increasingly heavy board back out again – repeatedly – demands upper and lower body strength.

Enter new, tailored surf-fit sessions by Surf Dubai and the brain-based fitness gurus .body//HACK: to Dubai.

Held in a cool room at Surf Dubai’s inviting new hideout, the Surf House in Umm Suqeim, our introductory burn-with-strength and mobility-obsessed .body//HACK: coach Pavlina Haralambous had a refreshing take on high-intensity body-weight training, plyometrics and functional movement, featuring a number of simple yet effective exercises, some of which you might recognise if you’ve ever been on a surfboard.

“I put the body through various lunge matrices, squats, push-ups, jumps and a lot of rotations to move the body in a more 3-D way, all based around key elements of surfing,” explains Haralambous. “I also use a circuit-like HIIT [high-intensity interval training] system to challenge endurance and stamina within the exercises, again key for being out on the water for long periods of time.”

Want washboard (or surfboard) abs? You’ll definitely crunch your way to them here as the class also features a strong core segment that will leave your mid-section quaking.

We really enjoyed that the moves seemed familiar, but that Haralambous was able to disguise them in a creative way that shocked the body into working harder. The air conditioning was way up during our session and the sweat still poured.

“You don’t just target specific muscles, but rather the body as a whole, from a functional perspective,” says Haralambous, who also recently learnt to surf to gain a better understanding of the surfer’s body in action. “The key is to allow the body to move as a singular entity, to help gain more natural mobility and strength.”

Surf House Dubai’s managing director Scott Chambers, a long-time surfer himself, was also enduring the class for the first time.

“It really did well to mimic a lot of the movements we do on the water, and it really helps your surfing to be able to do things like that, rather than just doing your usual gym session.”

Christian Krollig, also a new surfer, adds: “This is definitely going to help with my strength, which will then help with my stability on the board, making me comfortable on the water. I definitely recommend it.”

It’s not just for surfers, of course. If you’re craving that surfer body and higher endurance levels (and who isn’t?), this class is an efficient way to get you there.

Surf Conditioning runs on Fridays from 10.30am to 11.30am. The first session is free, Dh80 thereafter. Surf House also runs yoga classes.

• For more information, go to www.bodyhack.co.