Exercise to develop your paddling

The following is from Slalom Skills, doing these at least three times a week will help your paddling skills in both kayak and canoe, whatever discipline you paddle, whether for recreation of competition.

Core strengths are key to many activities in life, everything you do depends on your core (which is why it is called your core) strength. Core strength gives you better balance, and better control of your body, and that will help you, not just paddle better, but do everything better!

We suggest you do three sets of each exercise at least three times a week., should not take you more than half an hour per session, so easy to fit in before work or school or in the evening.

Ideally you should always warm up before starting any exercise, move your arms about, skipping is an excellent warm up exercise, as is some gentle jumping.

All these exercises involve holding a position for just 30 seconds, if you find that hard, don’t be despondent, cut back and try for 15 seconds and as you progress extend it to 20, 25 and the 30, who knows by the end of the year you may be holding it for much longer.

The next two exercises require you to be able to hold on to something and hang below, try a sturdy table, if you can’t find anything don’t worry, it is still worth doing the other exercises.

Exercising is always easier in pairs, or groups, so maybe Mums and Dads (brothers, sisters friends, etc.) , you want to join in, won’t do you any harm?

Each position should be held for 30 seconds and repeated after 30 seconds rest, or you could do them in rotation and repeat the cycle three times.

Remember the more you do the more you will benefit, but you need to build up gradually.

You can download the file as a pdf if you prefer.

Published 6th December 2023