SUP yoga and fitness on a paddleboard, plus where to paddle and checking local rules
TUREFF• •0
Once you are comfortable on a board, it becomes a moving gym. Balancing on water works muscles you barely notice on land, and simple yoga on a paddleboard is calm, absorbing and often very funny. This guide covers how to start, what to try and how to find good water to paddle on.
Before you try yoga on a board
- Use a suitable board. Wide, stable all-round or yoga boards with a long, flat deck pad are much easier than narrow touring boards.
- Find very calm water: no wind, no boat wash and no current. A sheltered lake or pond is ideal.
- Anchor or stay put. Some paddlers use a small anchor; otherwise drift where there is nothing to drift into, and check your position often.
- Keep your buoyancy aid and leash, as you would on any paddle. Some yoga classes on very shallow, calm, supervised water have their own arrangements; follow the instructor.
- Lay the paddle across the board in front of you or under the bungees so you do not lose it.
A guided SUP yoga class is the easiest way to start, because the instructor chooses the water and the board.
Poses that work well on water
Stay near the handle, the board's balance point, and move slowly.
- Seated and kneeling stretches: sitting cross-legged with breathing, side stretches and seated forward folds.
- Child's pose and cat-cow, on hands and knees.
- Table top with leg and arm extensions, which challenge balance gently.
- Downward dog, with hands and feet spread wide across the board.
- Low lunge and warrior poses, once you are steady. Keep the stance wide.
- Lying flat to finish, with your eyes closed, listening to the water.
Single-leg balances and inversions are for later. Expect to fall in. Fall away from the board, into water you know is deep enough and clear of rocks.
Paddleboard fitness ideas
- Interval paddling: alternate a minute of hard strokes with a minute easy.
- Distance days: steady paddling over a route you know, gradually longer.
- Kneeling sprints: good for technique and for windy days.
- Squats and lunges on the board, keeping your knees soft.
- Planks and bridges across the deck.
Warm up on land first and build up slowly. A sore lower back usually means you are bending at the waist rather than hinging from the hips.
Where to paddle
Good places for beginners and for yoga share a few features: shelter from wind, little or no current, easy places to get in and out, and other people around.
- Lakes and reservoirs: usually the calmest choice, but many reservoirs do not allow paddling, or only through a club or centre. Always check.
- Canals: calm and sheltered, with shared space and locks to stay well away from. A licence is often needed.
- Slow rivers: pleasant on a still day, but there is current, plus weirs, bridges and overhanging trees. Use a quick-release waist leash rather than an ankle leash on moving water.
- Sheltered bays: on the coast pick a bay protected from the wind, check tide times, avoid offshore winds and stay close to the shore, ideally near a lifeguarded beach in season.
Checking local rules
Access rules vary a lot from place to place, so check before you go.
- Licences: in England and Wales, many canals and rivers require a licence to paddle. Membership of your national paddling body may include one for many waterways; check the coverage for the water you plan to use.
- Landowners and operators: lakes, reservoirs, harbours and private stretches of river may restrict or prohibit paddling, or set zones and hours.
- Harbour and port rules: some busy waters set their own requirements, such as a particular type of leash.
- Signs at the water: look for notices about restricted areas, nesting birds, water quality or swimming zones.
- Check, clean, dry your board between waters to avoid spreading invasive species.
Local paddling clubs and centres are the best source of current advice about a particular stretch of water.
Where is your favourite calm spot to paddle, or what is your go-to pose on the board? Share it in the comments below.