By Alex Kelly
Many people take up or continue sports as hobbies as they get older. Whether competitive or simply a pastime, athletes are always searching for ways to improve their performance. Eastpointe member and instructor of Physical Therapy at Seton Hall, Jerry Monaco, carried out a study here at Eastpointe Health and Fitness that sought to analyze the impact that exercise programming has on surfing abilities. Not only did part of the study take place within the gym, but several other of Eastpointe’s members participated in the study. Jerry’s study helps to support the position that exercise programming improves athletic performance and confidence.
His article was published in the Journal of Sports Sciences and was entitled “The effects of a land-based home exercise program on surfing performance in recreational surfers”. Surfing performance was assessed in two ways: through objective measures (weight bearing lunge test, Y-balance test, and a pop-up assessment) and subjective measures (surfer’s performance questionnaire and trait sport-confidence inventory). To read the full article, CLICK HERE.
While the objective measures did show improvement after the completion of the 8-week exercise program, they weren’t statistically significant. However, the surfers’ self-rated performance improved significantly in the experiment group compared to the control group of this study. The study also noted that exercise programming that mimics the movement of that sport improves execution due to the transferability of the movements. Although subjective, the questionnaire showed a strong agreement within this study which supports the notion that even non-sports-specific training can benefit the athlete by influencing their self-perceived ability.
Although most people would benefit from a training program, athletes of any level should consider incorporating a routine to not only improve their physical ability, but also improve their confidence while performing. If you are interested in a customized exercise program, please CLICK HERE for more details.
Photo by Sebastian Staines on Unsplash
