Rochelle leads a yoga class for young Billabong surfers at Off The Wall. Photo: Billabong
Exercise: The following is a back-strengthening and chest-opening pose.
Benefits: This pose opens the chest muscles and fascia, builds the back muscles, with core stabilization and structural alignment. It also creates a positive muscle memory for over-use that results from paddling.
How To Do It:
1. Start with your forehead on the ground. Tuck your chin and face your palms, with your feet together.
2. When you inhale, reach your fingers back and your feet up. Keep your knees and feet together as you raise your chest in concert with your breathe.
3. When you exhale drop your forehead down on the ground, tucking your chin, and lowering your feet and hands.
4. Repeat three times.
5. Go into child’s pose to ease any lower back tension from the sacrum.
Child's pose. Photo: Courtesy Billabong
