Planning a womens kitesurfing or wingfoiling experience — whether it’s a kitesurf or wingfoil retreat — is exciting. The ocean, the wind, the community, the adventure.

But if you’re over 40, it’s also normal to wonder:

• Will my body keep up?
• Do I need to be fitter before a kiteboarding camp?
• How can I avoid injuries and feel strong on the water?

The good news?

You don’t need extreme training or a perfect body. Both kitesurfing and wingfoiling have a strong technical component. Understanding how the equipment works, combined with proper technique and coaching, can account for up to 50% of your progression — reducing the need for pure strength.

You simply need smart preparation — focused on mobility, core strength, and recovery.

This guide is designed for women over 40 preparing for kitesurf retreats or wingfoil retreats, who want to feel confident, capable, and energized on the water.

Why Preparing Your Body After 40 Matters (But Doesn’t Have to Be Intense)

As women, our bodies change — and that’s not a disadvantage.

After 40:

• joints need more mobility
• core strength becomes essential
• recovery matters more than pushing
• warm-ups are non-negotiable

The goal isn’t to train harder.
The goal is to train smarter, so your body supports your time on the water — instead of limiting it.

Many women joining our retreats — especially beginners — tell us: “I wish I had prepared just a little — not to be stronger, but to feel more comfortable in the water.”

1. Mobility: Your Secret Weapon for Kitesurfing & Wingfoiling

Mobility is often more important than strength for women who kitesurf.

Good mobility helps you to move freely on the water, absorb falls more safely, reduce knee, hip, and back strain and recover faster between sessions.

Focus areas for women after 40:

• Hips: essential for stance and balance. Key for steady pull and water starts.
• Thoracic spine (upper back): helps with rotation and posture
• Shoulders: especially for wingfoiling

👉 10–15 minutes of mobility, 3–4 times per week, is enough.

Here are a few simple mobility exercises you can start with at home before your kitesurf or wingfoil trip:

• 10 Min. Hip Mobility & Stretches to Unlock Hips | Beginner-Friendly Hip Openers 
• Thoracic Spine Mobility Routine | Stretch & Strengthen Upper & Mid Back
• Shoulder Workout with Dumbbells for Women Over 40

Think fluid and slow, not forced stretching.

2. Core Strength: The Foundation of Women’s Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing and wingfoiling are not arm sports — they are core sports.

A strong, responsive core helps you to stay balanced, reduce lower-back fatigue, control your direction and upwind riding and progression into jumps.

Focus on:

• planks (front and side)
• dead bugs
• bird dogs
• rotational movements

Here are a couple of simple core routines you can start with — focused on stability, control, and protecting your body while building strength for the water. You don’t need to do them all; just choose the one that fits you best!

• 10-Minute Core Workout for Seniors 
• 12-Minute Core Conditioning
• Core Workout for beginners (more intense)

👉 2-3 short sessions per week is enough.

3. Legs & Glutes: Stability and Longevity

Strong legs = protected joints.

As one doctor said once to me: “Building strength in your 40s determines whether you climb stairs independently in your 70s.”

For women into water sports, leg strength helps protect knees, improve endurance and reduce fatique.

These are a few training exercises to work on your legs and glutes:

• long walks
• walking up stairs
• squats
• lunges
• step-ups
• glute bridges

Here are a couple of simple lower-body workouts to help you build strength and stability before your next kitesurf or wingfoil trip:

• 5 minute leg workout
• 10-minute workout for women 50+

And yes — it also helps with those long walks back upwind 😉

4. Upper Body: Gentle Strength for Control, Not Power

Many women worry that they need strong arms to kitesurf or wingfoil. In kiteboarding, your arms are not the main source of strength. The pull from the kite is transferred through your body and managed by the harness, so proper technique and body positioning are what matter most.

Wingfoiling, on the other hand, does require more arm engagement, especially in the beginning, as you need to handle and stabilize the wing. Over time, as your technique improves, this becomes more efficient and less physically demanding.

Resistance bands, light weights, or yoga-based strength are perfect. Focus on shoulders and upper back:

• 10 min Upper Body Workout With Dumbbells (Arms, Back, Chest) 
• 10 min BACK AND SHOULDER WORKOUT | Light Dumbbells 

5. Warm-Ups: The Most Important Part 

Warm-ups are non-negotiable after 40. A proper warm-up reduces injuries, improves coordination, makes sessions feel easier and helps your nervous system adapt.

Here is an example of a simple pre-session warm-up (5 minutes), including:

• arm circles
• hip rotations
• gentle squats
• spinal mobility

Before any kitesurf or wingfoil session, a gentle warm-up can make a huge difference in how your body feels and performs. Here are 3 simple routines you can follow:

• 5 minute Warm Up Routine
• 5 Min LOW IMPACT Full Body Warm-Up Before Workout
• Warm up before a workout for women over 40

6. Injury Prevention: Listen Early

The biggest risk? Ignoring your body.

Pay attention to:

• tight lower back
• sore knees
• shoulder discomfort
• unusual fatigue

Enjoy — but always listen.

7. Resting during sessions: Not Lost Time — Smart Progression

This is one of the most important lessons we share during our kitesurf retreats and wingfoil retreats and one of the reasons why we have added a gentle, recovery daily yoga in our retreats.

At our camps, we typically offer around 3 hours of lessons per day. From experience, this is more than enough — and for many bodies, it’s already a lot.

We often hear:

• “I can kite for 5 or 6 hours straight.”
• “If I train more hours, I’ll progress faster.”

Let’s pause here. This isn’t math.

Kitesurfing and wingfoiling — especially when learning — demand much more than just physical effort. Your body is constantly adapting to wind, balance and coordination, temperature (cold water and wind), sun exposure, adrenaline spikes and drops, hydration levels (ofer lower than needed).

Even when it feels fun (and it is!), your body is under stress.

Rest Is Part of Progress

Short breaks during your session are essential: ride, come back to the beach, drink water, grab a snack, talk to your coach, reset, then go again.

If you’re learning in a group lesson, use your waiting time to: observe, recover and process what you’ve learned.

👉 This is not wasted time — it’s integration time.

The women who progress the fastest are not the ones who push nonstop. They are the ones who pace themselves intelligently.

Rest is not weakness. It is strategy.

8. The Mental Side: Confidence Is Physical Too

Feeling prepared physically reduces fear.

When your body feels mobile, supported and strong enough, your mind relaxes — and learning becomes faster and more enjoyable.

Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need to Be Younger — Just Prepared

You don’t need to train like an athlete.
You don’t need to be pain-free forever.
You don’t need to “get fit first.”

You simply need to do what we all women after 40s (and before!) should do:

• move regularly
• build supportive strength
• respect recovery
• warm up wisely

Women over 40 thrive in kitesurfing and wingfoiling — especially when they prepare with intention, not pressure.

Ready for a Kitesurf or Wingfoil Trip That Feels Good in Your Body?

Check our upcoming Kite Sisters Kitesurf & Wingfoil Retreats and Camps experiences that are designed with:

• progressive instruction
• supportive pacing
• expert gear selection
• deep respect for women’s bodies at every age

You bring curiosity. We take care of the rest.

Author: Chelu Guardati. Kite Sisters Co-Founder and IKO Kitesurf Instructor since 2010. IKO License: 12558