Niggles – those annoying surfing injuries

There’s no stopping old Father Time’s advance. We’re all getting older. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a young buck in the prime of life or an ageing ripper still out in the waves; none of us are getting any younger and from time to time we all pick up nagging, niggling injuries. As we get older these can be more frequent and in some cases lead on to far more serious complications. Obviously age isn’t the only factor in the mix, any age bracket can see bodily wear and tear setting in. But age increases how prone you are to damage – especially if you’re a watersports nut.

Unfortunately chucking yourself in the brine, doing battle with Mother Nature, and taking a few drubbings does take its toll. After all, this isn’t sitting fireside with a book and single malt in hand. You’re being physical, twisting and contorting your body all over the place and punishing those muscles and joints.

Picture the scene. You’ve just had an epic sesh and are super stoked on life. Heading back to the van sees you yanking off wetsuit and hurriedly towelling down. Bending slightly you feel a twinge. Recoiling from the sharp pain you stand tall and feel that pain increase. Before long you’re creased over in agony with a pulled muscle – nothing serious but painful none the less.

The above is just one scenario that you may be familiar with – there are plenty more. And these niggles can last longer than you anticipate. Rather than being completely debilitating they do their best to annoy and make normal life harder than usual. Sometimes medical intervention may be needed whereas at other times rest and recovery are the best antidotes.

Chances are these minor injuries could’ve been prevented. Stretching and warming up prior to your sesh and then post-surf warm downs will all help. If you’re really the type who gets these nagging pains regularly then yoga or Pilates could be a solution. And don’t forget sports massage to truly rid yourself of muscular knots and twists.

One things for sure: niggling injuries need to be put to bed ASAP so as to not ruin your wave riding. The quicker you address these the sooner you’ll be back on it. And prevention is better than cure. Standing on the beach pulling shapes during warm ups may lead you to being the butt of mates’ jokes yet in the long run you’ll be the one having the last laugh!