When winter rolls into Chicago it can be a bit of a challenge to stay on top of your outdoor summer sports like stand up paddle boarding or SUP yoga. If you’re not into cold-weather paddling, the next best option is to join a paddling group at an indoor pool. Kayak Chicago offers open pool sessions at UIC every Wednesday night – with a few paddleboards available for rent. If this option is not available to you, it’s time to take your training inside.
Gyms are a great place to stay in shape, but for most of us, there’s just no comparison to paddling on the lake on a gorgeous summer day. It’s the reason we paddleboard in the first place, to be outside while doing something we love that’s physically good for us. So I’ve taken the time to outline a few exercises designed specifically for paddleboarders to keep your body in top paddle shape.
keeping your SUP balance in tune
The sport of standup paddleboarding (or SUP) is one that utilizes the entire core of the body to balance. SUP is highly effective for building the core muscles (the core comprises of the muscles within the abdomen and lower back). Because balance is the main element while paddle boarding, your core remains in a constant state of work just to maintain an upright position. So the key is finding exercises that keep your core strong and continue to build balance, this is easily accomplished by working on an unstable surface.
One easy-to-find tool is the BOSU ball. it’s pretty standard equipment at most gyms. BOSU stands for “Both Sides Up”. You can either work on the inflated half-ball side facing up, or the flat bottom to increase the level of difficulty. Just standing on the BOSU easily replicates standing on an unstable surface such as water and quickly fires up all the stabilizer muscles.
You can add lunges, squats and one-leg balance postures to work on balance while building the large muscles in the legs. Standup Paddleboarding is a sport that’s very low impact and a really safe way to work the leg muscles without adding stress to the joints, so keeping the muscles in the legs strong is important in the off-season.
If you’re a member of a gym, involve the entire body while standing on the BOSU using weights. Generally when we’re talking about strength training it’s either done all on it’s own, or not at all unfortunately. So consider mixing it up by picking up some weights and curling, pressing or extending in a slow controlled motion while balancing on the BOSU.
the Indo board
An incredibly well designed piece of equipment is the well-known Indo Board. The Indo was designed by surfer Hunter Joslin in 1998 as a way to train the elements of surfing on land. Indo Board Balance Trainers have become increasingly popular as a tool for improving balance and for proprioceptive conditioning in all types of sports from skateboarding to skiing to everything in between. These training boards are surprisingly affordable and has evolved into a sport of their own right. Comprised of a small inflatable cushion, or for added difficulty, a tubular roller at its base, and a wood platform on top – the Indo board is the best all-around tool for maintaining balance, strength and conditioning at any point in your training cycle.
The goal is to find an even stance – stand tall on the board with knees slightly bent, relax your upper body, and allow your legs and core to keep you in balance. Common mistakes are to bend too much at the waist (same mistake first-timers make in SUP), or to flail the arms.
Make sure your feet are even to the edges of the board. You’ll also find a wider stance is more challenging, so start out with feet closer together. Consider using a spotter or a nearby wall when mounting the board. Your goal is to stay upright on the board without letting the edges touch the floor. Once you are up and getting the hang of it – your next options are endless. Tricks and amazing feats are posted almost daily on youtube, so check it out for some inspiration.
The next product to check out is the brand-new Indo Yoga board – the next generation board designed by Indo to take yoga to the next level by adding instability exactly like the widely popular Stand Up Paddle Yoga or SUP Yoga.
The Indo Yoga Board features an all-wood deck with four rockers attached to the bottom. For a more advanced progression you can place inflatable IndoFLO cushions underneath. By varying the inflation of the cushions you can tailor the difficulty to your level.
Start by standing on the long board and move into a wide surf stance, or standard warrior 2 stance – you’ll find it’s completely doable. Your comfort in your regular yoga practice will lead you where you’ll go next. Most yoga poses translate very well on the board, and the feeling is a great simulation of the SUP on water.
Chicago SUP Yoga is excited to be affiliated with this brand new product to the SUP market. As a training tool, the board is invaluable. The Indo Yoga board takes the fear of translating yoga to an unstable environment, and can lead you to a comfortable progression of your practice to the ultimate setting. Just visualize yourself on a standup paddleboard confidently moving from pose to pose on any calm blue lake.
Most importantly, focus on keeping your body/mind relaxed and strong – and stop in one day for some yoga – but that’s a whole other article.
Mary Lou Cerami is available for Balance Core Yoga classes and workshops using the Indo board at your location or the above studios. For more info about Chicago S.U.P Yoga classes & events, visit http://chicagosupyoga.com/