Focus on developing your core strength.

Paddle boarding requires a paddler to have a strong core since it the key to maintain balance and stability while you are paddling. The muscles in your abs, pelvis, and lower back are collectively referred to as your core muscles. These muscles work together to keep your spine stable and give it all the support it deserves. A strong core can help you maintain good posture and balance on the board, both of which are essential for successful day on the board. Paddle boarding requires a strong core, sorry I said it.


During the off-season, you should focus on strengthening your core muscles by performing exercises such as planks, sit-ups, and Russian twists.
Planks are an excellent workout for building core strength since they use your entire core and can be performed virtually anyplace.
Abdominal exercises such as sit-ups and Russian twists not only strengthen your rotational strength but also your abdominal muscles, both of with will make you SUP'er human on the board, or at least more efficient paddling.

Improve your endurance.

In order to get the most out of paddleboarding, which is a full-body workout that requires cardiovascular endurance, you should include workouts that increase endurance, such as jogging, cycling, or swimming, in your training routine.
These workouts can assist you in enhancing your cardiovascular fitness and endurance, both of which will make you feel great on those long days out on your board.

Running is a great form of cardio exercise that is simple to perform and can assist you in improving your endurance.
Indoor cycling courses are a wonderful method to receive a high-intensity cardiovascular workout that is low-impact and won't strain your joints if cycling is your preferred form of exercise.
Swimming is another fantastic low-impact cardiovascular exercise that trains every muscle in your body. And swimming is just a great skill to have for every paddle boarder.

Develop your strength in the upper body.

While proper paddle strokes come from your core, training your upper body in the off season is worth the effort.
Paddling can be made easier and more successful by developing your upper body strength, namely in the arms, shoulders, and back.
Exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and dumbbell rows are excellent ways to build upper-body strength.


The chest, shoulders, and triceps are all targeted by the excellent exercise known as the push-up, which I am sure none of you have ever heard of....  And pushups can be down virtually anyplace at anytime. On a boring zoom call, just slip under your desk and whip out some pushups. Same with long check out line a the grocery store? Do some pushups, trust me the line wont be long anymore, or you will get an escort out of the store. But seriously you can do pushups almost anywhere.

Pull-ups are yet another fantastic exercise that are beneficial to the back, shoulders, and arms. If you cannot do a pull up yet, there are a bunch of great tutorials on Youtube that can get you doing pull ups in no time at all. Just toss it in the Googles and pick a video you bond with.

An additional powerful move for developing upper-body strength is the dumbbell row, which works both the back and the biceps simultaneously. The dumbell row is a great move for paddle boarding, it hits the back and biceps, and requires you to stabilize your core.

Train yourself to have better balance and stability.

Use activities such as yoga, Pilates, or balance training as part of your off-season workout program. Doing so will help you achieve better balance and stability while you're zipping along on your paddle board.

By strengthening your proprioception, which is your capacity to perceive the position and movement of your body, these workouts can make it easier for you to keep your balance and remain stable while you're on the board.

Exercises such as yoga and Pilates, which have an emphasis on building core strength, flexibility, and balance, are great choices for anyone looking to improve their balance and stability. And if you have never done yoga, or mock it like I do, just try it!  It really makes your body feel great, and when I do regular yoga practice I do notice how much more comfortable I am on my board.

In addition to helping you improve your balance and stability, strength exercises like single-leg squats and dead lifts can be quite beneficial.

Interval training should be included.

Because paddle boarding needs short bursts of hard work followed by intervals of rest, interval training can be an effective way to enhance your fitness and get you ready for the challenges of the sport. Short bursts of activity performed at a high intensity are followed by periods of rest or exercise performed at a lower intensity during interval training.

Workouts that involve periods of high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, are ideal for building both strength and cardiovascular endurance.
Workouts that incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT) can be modified to accommodate participants of varying fitness levels and goals by including either exercises that focus on the body's own weight or those that involve the use of weights.

Spring will be here sooner than we think (it takes a lot to type that as it is currently snowing) and a few workouts a week will get you in SUP'er shape for the summer. It does not take much, even if you can only carve out 10 minutes every few days that effort will be worth when you are out on the water paddling circles around your friends who went into hibernation mode. Learn more about paddle board training.

And if you want to update your paddle board quiver please take a look at our latest inflatable paddle boards for 2023.