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I have a confession to make. I just surfed for the first time in 8 weeks. Yup. 8. Two full months without putting my wetsuit on. I am pretty embarrassed because I have no excuse.. no injury.. no real reason except that life and hustling simply got in the way. I don't have kids. I wasn't out of town. I didn't have Covid.. at least I don't...

After a 6-week hiatus from surfing due to COVID related beach closures, a few beaches finally opened last week, allowing for surfing.  Given that parking has been a nightmare nearby most beaches, and, more optimal surfing spots aren't necessarily a stones-throw from the open beach access points, a bike with surf racks is definitely...

A year ago today, I was packing a bag and checking into Cedars Sinai Hospital for 3 days to have a degenerative disc removed from my L4/L5 segment in my spine, and replaced with titanium spacers, rods and screws. I was terrified having had 2 prior spine surgeries to have to go through another surgery, so close to my central nervous system.. but...

It sounds silly, but with the beaches closed in most places, and many people now telecommuting/ working from home, surf-injury prevention may actually start right from your home office. 

As a physical therapist, I am frequently reminding my patients that often surf-related injuries or pain come from the things we do most in our day, and...

If you're anything like me, a new onset of cleaning neurosis has come about over the last few weeks. Anything from the grocery store or delivered to my doorstep gets the full 'wipe down' before going into the pantry. 

Here's the thing though.. Many people aren't able to access Clorox wipes or disinfectant, and, lets face it.. many of...

With most beaches, gyms, physical therapy clinics, etc. being closed, limiting access to surf and 'normal' routines, I wanted to share some of my fave tools for setting up a home gym.

If you need some accountability, guidance, or continued physical therapy to help get you through this nutty time, don't be afraid to schedule a FREE 15 minute...

Last night I woke up at 2:00 AM and found myself wide awake, unable to get back to sleep. Like many people around the world, I am sure, sleep quality has been less than ideal lately. While perhaps sleep has been culturally back-burnered over the years next to work or school schedules, and our often overly scheduled lives, I suspect many of us...

Most of us are aware that the Baby Boomer generation is aging and growing into the largest retired Medicare beneficiary group that the United States has seen to date. The sheer number of Medicare beneficiaries is projected to grow from 50.7 million in 2012 to 81 million in 2030 (YES, growing by nearly 63%).

This is daunting considering that not...

Spoiler alert: if you’re reading this hoping that you can glean “3-5 Simple Exercises You Can do to Avoid Back Surgery”, then I have to tell you, this article probably won’t help you.

What I will tell you is that chronic low back pain is complicated, for many it can be an ongoing battle, and while exercise can help in...

It’s taken me a few weeks to process the experience I had while in Costa Rica last month completing my 200-hour yoga teacher training.

The 2 weeks with Med Flow Yoga were fulfilling, grueling, enlightening - filled with laughter and tears, growth and change.

I entered the 2 weeks with apprehension and fear. Would my back "hold up" to...

I’ve spent the last 2 months marinating on a new project that I will be launching over the next year or so, Water’s Edge Surf Therapy. Creating this is one of the silver-linings that has come out of a decade-long work burnout and 3 lumbar spine surgeries. While I have shared some about my journey with my back injury (click HERE to...

Summer is approaching, today is International Surf Day, and my question is... are you in the water surfing as much as you'd like to be? 

Maybe you're a lot like me, recovering from an injury and getting back in the water this summer is on your to-do list. And, if you're anything like other injured surfers - rebuilding confidence,...

In the last few months Surf Body Connection has undergone some big changes.

We are pleased to announce that, on July 3rd, we will be launching a brand new online guided learning experience, to help you improve your pop-up. The course will take you step by step to create a custom exercise and stretching program for you, to help with low back...

A good friend of mine told me a few years ago about a surf trip he went on where he had his shoulder dislocate. He was in a far-away place, long away from immediate medical care. I remember him telling me that the weirdest thing was that to put a dislocated shoulder back in, you pull your arm (while lying on your surfboard), down and it actually...

(This post originally appeared on The Inertia).

Surf Cardio 

One of my favorite aspects of surfing is that it is secretly one of the best avenues of cardiovascular exercise, without the impact on your knees, hips, and back like running. What other low-impact sport allows you to keep your heart rate up in the 65%-85% (or higher) target HR...

Written By Guest Blogger: Jayson Carpenter, REALTOR®

Whether you are a salty veteran or a newly learning novice, San Diego County has a wave for you.

Within the county lines there are hundreds of places to grab a few waves on any given day. Longboard or shortboard, big wave or small - San Diego County has got you covered. With water...

Some days, I feel like an imposter.

I am a physical therapist that loves helping keep other surfers in the water, yet I have been dry-docked and out of the ocean for almost 18 months now—working through a back injury that has challenged me in every aspect of my life.

It’s hard to not get down on yourself when you can count on one...

As a physical therapist who’s worked with surfers for about 6 years, I have seen a lot of surfers who come to me with trouble popping up.

There are a lot of reasons why this can happen ranging from arthritis and pain to limited agility, decreased core strength, or decreased motor control.  

With that being said, I’ve found most...

Hemp Oil aka CBD Oil, a not-so-alternative pain management strategy, is a booming new business, and hard, at times, to figure out.

It was just a few years ago, that one of my clients confided in me that he was taking 3 Vicodin a day for his pain, just to function at his job (driving a vehicle for a living), and that the medications barely helped...

In my prior blog post, 3 Reasons To Consider Augmenting Your Surf Practice With Yoga, I discussed why I shifted my perspective as a physical therapist on yoga practice. In that post, I talked about the mental and spiritual benefits of practicing yoga and living in the moment and practicing Samadhi. You can think of Samadhi as a place of...