Professional surfer Caroline Marks trains hard for her job, but she also has a lot of fun. Marks, 22, shared a video of herself wearing a pink hat, black shorts and a yellow jersey, riding a bike in the sunshine. “The daily commute 😆,” the captioned the upbeat video. “Do a wheelie 😂,” a fan commented. Marks has her entire fitness and diet routine streamlined for the ultimate performance—everything she eats, even how she takes care of her eyes, has an impact. Here’s what her wellness and workout routine looks like.
Marks’ workout routine is intense but she thrives on it. “Ideally, I surf and do gym work each day—that’s where I work on balance and fitness,” she told Red Bull. “Let’s say I’m going to a long point break like Jeffreys Bay. I have to make the first turn as strong as the last turn. It’s really hard to do, because my legs get tired. Sometimes, I have to surf four heats in a day, and I obviously can’t just stop. There’s a big agility ladder at my gym and I try to keep my feet going as fast as I can. I want to keep my heart rate up as long as possible. It’s a lot of fast-twitch motions, too.”
Marks enjoys protein snacks and avocado toast. “If I eat something in the morning and I win, then I’ll eat that again,” she told Red Bull. “Avocado toast is my go-to in the morning right now. I just do a piece of organic toast, avocado, salt and pepper, and cherry tomatoes. I definitely bring snacks like trail mix and protein bars everywhere I go. I don’t have set things I have to have. If I really want avocado and turkey on a rice cake, I’ll have that.”
Marks takes supplements as part of her holistic approach to health and wellness. “Having great, consistent habits have played a huge role in my success,” she told Authority Magazine. “My daily habits include getting enough sleep, taking my vitamins to receive nutrients, working out and of course surfing — all things that contribute to my overall health, which is key to my success.”
Marks’ workouts include hours of surfing, of course, and using a foam roller for recovery. “I try to surf four hours a day minimum—it’s a really good work-out that makes you use your whole body constantly!” she told Red Bull. “I stand really low on my board and I’m always using my legs. They get tight, but fortunately rolling out with the foam roller helps. I’m still young and I don’t feel pain or anything, but I want to avoid that. Being flexible also makes my turns better. I stretch my whole body and use the roller just about everywhere.”
Marks spends hours in the sun and makes sure to protect her eyes. “Eye health is often overlooked, even though it’s one of the most important factors in overall performance,” she said in a press release for the American Optometric Association. “Beyond just the need for good vision out on the water, my regular exposure to the sun, wind, and sand and attachment to my phone means my eyes are being put to the test every day.”