Stretching in Skateboarding: Hangin' Loose with Duncan Strength and Conditioning

Reynolds eats fruit, Stu Graham seems to be slimming down, and a heavy number of skaters have been trading in Taco Bell and beer bongs for vegan lunches with sides of yoga. This surprising trend in health-conscious lifestyles is the result of skaters trying to push their passion for shredding into their golden years. As we know, skateboarding takes its toll on our bodies.

John Lucero said it best, "My knees are ruined. My back is blown out. I have a hard time walking. I'm going to have a hard time getting up out of this chair in a second, and it's all because of skateboarding. And it feels so good. It feels so good to know that you're a skateboarder and that's it."

It's no secret that skateboarding, just like any other strenuous activity, will eventually start to wear your body down. Years of rolled ankles, heel bruises, and tweaked muscles can morph your weekend skating of stairs and gaps to slappy grinds and mini ramps. Yet, now there are people in the skateboarding industry who are dedicated to prolonging the careers of amateur and professional skateboarders by encouraging proper stretching before skating and rehabilitation after injuries.

Currently, there is one guy who has been working locally with skateboarders in Florida, as well as professionals around the country, to help skaters recover from injuries and get them loose before competitions.

Danny Duncan, of Duncan Strength & Condition, is becoming a fixture at most major skate events around the Sunshine State. Carrying only a shade tent and a folding massage table, Duncan has worked with some of the most recognizable names in wood pushing to keep their bodies limber. Andrew Reynolds, Nyjah Huston, and Keelan Dadd are just some of the guys who have been stretched out by Duncan before or after an event. Terry Kennedy says that Duncan helped him by increasing the range of motion in his ankles.

To say that Duncan is dedicated to stretching is an understatement. The Certified Personal Trainer recently returned from a trip to California, where he slept in his Ford Focus and bathed in hotel pools for an opportunity to train with some of his favorite skaters.

Recently, we got a chance to speak with the stretching guru about how he got started working with skaters, what's next for his business, and the importance of taking care of your body when you're not hucking it down a set of stairs or bouncing it off a handrail. Check out the short interview below, as well as some easy exercises you can do at home to stay loose.

Duncan, you're relatively new to the skateboarding industry – how did you get involved with working with skaters and with all the stretching business?

I skated when I was younger, then I stopped after I broke my leg pretty bad. Then, when my leg healed up, I started to compete as a tri-athlete in high school. It wasn't until I was 18 that I started to come around skating again. I went to a contest with some friends and looked around and nobody was stretching before their runs. It was crazy because I was used to trainers and coaches working with everyone before a competition and nobody was helping these guys...and skateboarding can be a lot harder on your body than a triathlon or any other sport. It was crazy that no one was stretching.

How did the stretching start with you?

A massage therapist worked with me to help me and I saw the benefits from conditioning and stretching and I thought it was something that I could do.

Do you think that stretching could prevent some injuries for skaters?

It's hard to say that for sure, but I think that when you tweak a muscle it could usually be prevented by stretching. Noseblunts and lipslides make your body contort and twist, so stretching out your lower back can help for things like that.

Why do you want to work with skaters instead of, let's say football players or bowlers?

I've always enjoyed skateboarding. Even when I wasn't skating I would check out YouTube videos. It's crazy that I have the chance to be involved in a sport that I've always been fascinated by, and now I'm able to help people that I've looked up to.

What's been the hardest part of starting off in the skateboarding industry?

I had to try few different times to get this started...for a while no one really understood what I was trying to do. Then I started to work with (amateur skater) Zion Wright, and people could see how I was helping him. After that, people started to believe in it. Justin Williams and Conrad Thai helped me out too, I'd be nowhere without those guys.

Besides stretching, how else do you help skaters with conditioning and strength training?

The stronger you are, the better you can skate. The stronger you are, the better you can perform.

Most skaters only know how to treat a rolled ankle with ice and ibuprofen? What could you do for them?

Ice is good. For a rolled ankle I'd soak it in bucket of ice water before starting off on small stretches. A lot of people don't realize that you shouldn't just rest your ankle for a long time after an injury. Stretches and exercises and can start to increase the range of motion and then start to work the muscles back. Then, it's just getting the ankle stronger so that you don't roll it again.

What's next for Duncan Strength & Conditioning? California?

Yep. I'll be headed out to California in May. I've got an internship with The Berrics and we'll see how it goes from there.

Stretches for Home

We asked Duncan what would be some good stretches that could be done before, after, or during a skate session. He recommended some of these moves that can help loosen up before tossing it down El Toro.

Leg Swings: Face a fence or wall and hold on for support; keep your upper body still, and swing your leg side to side 10 times. This stretch loosens your abductor magnus, longus, brevis, pectineus, gracilis, and many more parts of your body that sound like organs in the female anatomy. Switch Sides. Repeat.

Trunk Twists: To perform the stretch, start by standing with feet shoulder width apart, arms in front, and face forward. Focus on rotating your torso as much as it will go, not your knees and hips. Rotate from side to side.

Front To Back Leg Swings: Hold onto a fence or wall; keep your upper body still, and swing your leg forward and back 10 times, loosening your glutes (cheeks), hamstrings, and hip flexors. Switch Sides.

Any skaters that are interested in training or stretching with Danny Duncan can reach him at his website DuncanStrength.com or Email Danny@DuncanStrength.com