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The power of play
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Joaquin D. Liptz, wrote an essay for the surf website Surfline.com describing the powerful effects surfing has on lives. In the essay he describes how his friend, who had moved inland, decided to curb his alcohol consumption and drop the extra 30 lbs. he had been carrying around during his first surf session in decades.
“And there it was. In one two-hour session, surfing did something that his wife couldn’t with 10 years of nagging. Hell, it even took a chunk out of his alcohol problem. In other words, blowing waves was a greater motivating force than family bliss.”
-Joaquin D. Liptz, Cleaning Up Slowly; Celebrating Surfing’s Healing Powers
After reading this essay you may begin to wonder what exactly it is about grabbing a board and venturing out into the ocean that is so powerful? And is it possible to have a similar experience without the ocean?
Some may say it is the interaction with nature that makes surfing so powerful. Certainly, that keen sense of interaction with the environment plays into it, but perhaps there is something else, something more fundamental.
Surfing, is pure recreation; it really serves absolutely no purpose (other than to put a smile on your face). Surfing is 100% play.
Play, as defined by dictionary.com is:
noun -
1. an exercise or activity for amusement or recreation
2. fun or jest, as opposed to seriousness
verb -
1. to exercise or employ oneself in diversion, amusement, or recreation
2. to do something in sport that is not to be taken seriously
3. to amuse oneself
Perhaps, surfing is so powerful because it is pure fun, pure recreation.
Children play all the time. Children smile often and do not take themselves too seriously. Adults often forget how to play. Adults compete in athletics, and in fitness, but their drives are often different. Driven to reach a goal or attain a certain standard (like becoming a 3 handicap, or a certain dress size), they miss out on experiencing the fun of moving.
A few fitness trainers are making play the foundation of their programs. Following the lead of play pioneers like Barbara Brannen and Frank Forencich, trainers like Phoenix’s Alisha Toombs and San Diego’s Theresa Nesbitt & Conor Hughes are transforming their practices to help people remember how to play.
The power of play cannot be denied. How are you going to enjoy playing today?
Lou McGovern is a San Diego based Z-Health Master Trainer, a surfer and paddler, and certified kettlebell coach. Visit www.essentialstrength.com for a personalized "sport specific" performance coaching.
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