Core Exercises For Better Balance While Paddleboarding
5 Core Exercises That’ll Help You Balance Better on Your Paddleboard
Thanks to classic core conditioning exercises like planks and ab twists, you can boost your paddleboarding skills from the comfort of your own living room — or wherever you set down your workout mat.
"True core stability is being able to move your extremities without moving your hips — paddling, while balancing on a board, is that exact definition in practice," Heather Gunn Rivera, a NASM-certified personal trainer and co-owner of Grassroots Fitness Project, says.
So, if balance (and the fear of falling off your board into the water) is the main issue keeping you off a paddleboard, it's not a bad idea to boost your core strength. Targeting your core will also help you produce more power, Rivera says.
You can get started by adding these exercises to your workout routine. After completing the warmup ahead, Rivera suggests stringing them together to create a 10-minute EMOM circuit.
Warmup
- 10 Inchworms
- 10 Cat-Cows
- 10 Thread the Needles
- 30 seconds: Extended Puppy Pose
10-Minute EMOM, or Every Minute on the Minute
Each exercise starts on the minute, and while Rivera says the rest is built in, you should always listen to your own body and take rest as needed. Perform the exercises ahead in order, and then repeat for a second circuit to total 10 minutes.
- Planks: Hold for 45 seconds
- Superman: Hold for 45 seconds
- Side Plank: Hold for 30 seconds per side
- Ab Twists: Perform for 30 seconds
- Single Arm Long Arm Planks: Hold for 30 seconds per side
Cooldown
- 30 seconds Child Pose
- 30 seconds Cobra Pose
- 30 seconds Downward Dog
- 30 seconds Forward Fold
Forearm Plank
Superman
Side Plank
Ab Twists
Single Arm Long Arm Planks
