Strengthen your core and you’ll strengthen your paddling abilities. Many people, when thinking of how they can improve their ability as a paddler through exercise automatically turn to the arms and shoulders. While yes, strong and stable arms and shoulders are critical, the real work should come from your core.
Most people narrowly define the core to mean the abdominals. The core is actually comprised of the entire midsection of your body excluding the extremities. It’s the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex and all the muscles that attach to it. The chest, upper back, middle and low back, glutes, hamstrings, and yes, the abs too.
Develop good core stability followed by core strength and you’ll be a much better paddler.
I posted this video to You Tube a couple of years ago and it has since received well over 100,000 views.
In this video, I show you five great core stabilization exercises to use the core muscles and get you on the way to developing a more functional core to help you become a better, more efficient paddler.
These exercises are also good for balance, in addition to core strength and flexibility. Many of them are incorporated into Hatha Yoga.