Stay Fit during Paddling’s Off-Season
5-minute read
For folks like us who live in the north and have to take the winter off from paddling, we don’t need to get flabby in the meantime! Here are a few suggestions for simple exercises you can do during the off-season to stay fit for next spring.
(Photo: Five2Nine Media)
As we all know, keeping physically fit is a huge part of staying healthy. Having something to look forward to—like kayaking or SUPing again in a few months—is a great motivator to do that.
But that doesn’t have to mean hours at the gym or long marathon runs. There’s a lot we can do right from home to keep our bodies toned and ready for the next paddle season. Not only will we have more fun right off the bat, but it’ll help prevent soreness, needless fatigue and even injuries once we’re back in the boat.
Here are some simple routines you can do throughout the off-season. Alternate your muscle groups for just 10-20 minutes each day. Add in some cardio a handful of times a week, and you’ll be ready to go once the lakes thaw and the sun warms everything up again.
[NOTE: If you’re not sure what these specific exercises are, a simple YouTube search will bring up short videos that demonstrate each of them.]
Flexibility and Stretching
A great way to keep from pulling a muscle or throwing your back out in a few months is to take time now to keep your body flexible with easy and regular stretching.
Flexibility and mobility go hand in hand. They reduce strain on muscles, ligaments and tendons, and will help keep your strokes smooth once you’re back on the water.
A few stretches to build into your routine are:
- Cat-Cow stretches for your back
- Thread the Needle stretches for your back, sides and shoulders
- Thoracic Spine Rotation stretches for the entire upper half of your body, especially your core and shoulders
- Hamstring stretches that help with your lower back, glutes and legs
- Hip Flexor stretches that help with your lower back and hips, especially when most paddling involves so much sitting
(Photo: Michael O’Dwyer)
Cardio, Full-Body Activities
What are your favorite activities that you’ll actually do during the late fall, winter and early spring? Running? Walking? Hiking? Swimming in a pool? Rowing machine? Cross-country Skiing? Snowshoeing?
Whatever it is, do them a few times a week. Get your heart rate up for a while and enjoy! Because most paddling isn’t weight-bearing, it’s good to do off-season activities that are weight-bearing. It’s good for our bones, especially.
If you have access, indoor rock climbing and rowing machines are super options for working out pretty much every muscle group, as well as cardio. The best overall outdoor winter activity that gives you those same benefits is cross-country skiing (especially if you have some hills to climb).
Flexibility and cardio are just plain good for overall fitness. Now let’s get into specific muscle groups to build and/or maintain strength…
Core and Back
Most people assume our shoulders and arms provide the bulk of the power in kayaks, canoes, packrafts and paddleboards. But if you paddle correctly, a large part of our stroke power should come from our center—our core.
So it’s essential we do exercises that focus on our core and back. Here are a few common ones:
- Russian Twist—start with your heels on the floor, and once that’s easy, raise your feet as you twist
- Superman for back extensions
- Dead Bug and Bird Dog work similar muscles—the bug from your back and the dog from your knees
- Plank, front and side—this static hold works your whole body
(Photo: Forged from the Wild)
Shoulders and Arms
Now we’ll move to the second muscle group we use the most when we paddle: our arms and shoulders. Most of these also work the chest and upper back muscles, which we also use when we paddle correctly:
- Resistance band row with a slow pulling motion
- External and internal rotations, also with a resistance band. This one is great for the rotator cuff, a body part you definitely don’t want to strain
- Scapular push-up works those upper back muscles between your shoulder blades
- Overhead carry is static resistance—like planks for your arms
Hips, Glutes and Legs
Sometimes we forget that getting in and out of our boat requires strength and mobility, too, not just the act of paddling. Hip, glute and leg strength are also key for balance.
Many of the cardio activities listed above help with our lower half. And there are many simple exercises you can do that focus on building or maintaining muscle strength in our hips, glutes and legs.
Here are a few:
- Glute Bridge, slowly
- Lunge—If you can’t get all the way down, go as far as you can and be comfortable
- Squat—Same
- Step-Up onto a stool, stair or chair, depending on how much of a challenge you want and are able to do
(Photo: Ryan Hill)
Take Advantage of the Off-Season
Most paddlers love being outside and in nature—that’s one of the reasons why we paddle. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you have to stay inside, even if paddling isn’t an option for a while.
Find outdoor activities you enjoy all winter long, get the right gear to keep you warm in the cold and wind, watch out for ice, and have fun while you move your body. Then when it comes time to get back on the water, you’ll have stayed fit and ready to go.
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us at 715-755-3405 or sales@aquabound.com.
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