Surf’s Up for Postural Stability: A Descriptive Study of Physical Activity, Balance, Flexibility, and Self-Esteem in Healthy Adults

This study examines balance, flexibility and self-esteem among healthy individuals who engage in surfing, compared to those who do not surf. A cross-sectional study design was conducted with 124 participants divided into: Group 1: Surfers n=42; Group 2: Individuals performing over 3 hours of physical activity per week n=43; Group 3: Individuals performing fewer than 3 hours of physical activity per week n=39. To assess balance, the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and the Flamenco Test were used, the Sit and Reach Test (SRT) to measure hamstring extensibility, the Rosenberg Scale to measure self-esteem, and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to measure physical activity levels. Regarding descriptive characteristics, G1 participants were significant older than G2 and G3 (p< 0.05 and p< 0.001, respectively). Moreover, there was a higher proportion of females in G3 than in G1 and G2 (p < 0.05). The results revealed significant differences in balance between the surfers and those engaging in fewer than 3 hours of activity per week (p< 0.05), G1 obtained significantly higher results in SEBT-left leg than G2 and G3 (p < 0.001) and higher result in SEBT-right leg and FBT than G3 (p < 0.05) but no significant differences in self-esteem were found. Significant differences in flexibility were observed between males and females (p < 0.001).This results suggests that surfing could have a positive effect on balance.