Strength training, not yoga – fitness on an SUP

Siri Schubert

15.8.2023

Translation: Veronica Bielawski

Stand-up paddleboarding is a good full-body endurance workout. Want to use your board for an effective outdoor strength workout, too? Then these exercises are for you.

You’ve probably heard of SUP yoga – and maybe you’ve even tried it. But if you want a more intense strength workout, try the following exercises. The water’s wobbly surface engages many small stabiliser muscles, giving your workout an extra punch. This will help you achieve good core stability, which is important in everyday life and for almost all sports.

Warm-up: squats

Squats are ideal for building leg strength. Squats on an SUP additionally improve your balance and strengthen the small muscles that stabilise your joints. Do the exercise for one minute. Your legs will thank you.

Planks with leg lift

You can perform the classic plank on an SUP. The movement of the water puts extra strain on your core muscles. To kick things up a notch, you can alternate lifting your legs about 20 to 30 centimetres every second.

Push-ups

Push-ups are a highly effective bodyweight exercise that everyone knows of, but not everyone likes. Challenge yourself to last a minute doing this classic. You can, of course, also do the push-ups on your knees. But try to ramp things up a bit each time. You’ll be surprised how quickly you progress with regular practice.

Mountain climbers

Pull your right and left knee alternately toward your elbows. Your abs will yelp! And not only your abs – your legs, back, shoulders and arms also have to work a fair bit. Mountain climbers are a real full-body workout, which is a notch more effective on an unstable SUP.

Ab workout with the paddle

Are your abs begging for more? No problem. Give this exercise a go. Pull in your legs and then stretch them again. As you pull in your legs, you can lift the paddle above your knees and to your shins – this makes the exercise a little harder and challenges your balance.

Arm and leg raises

This exercise takes coordination and stability. Lift one leg and one arm – either opposite to one another or on the same side. You’ll feel how this exercise challenges your sense of balance and is more difficult than it looks.

Theraband bicep curls

For some strength athletes, the biceps are the muscle. If you want to work it out on your SUP, all you need to do is take a Theraband with you. Keep your elbows close to your body as you raise and lower your forearms. Neat bonus: since you have to balance while standing on the SUP, your whole torso is forced to work with you.

Theraband rowing

This exercise again trains your whole body. Put the Theraband around your feet while sitting, then pull your legs toward you before stretching them out again. As you do this, you simultaneously pull the tape toward you with your hands. This movement strengthens your legs, abs, glutes, back, shoulders and arms. What more could you want?

Side plank with a raised leg

Doing a side plank on an SUP isn’t easy, but if you like a challenge, you’ll enjoy practising this pose. It puts your lateral ab muscles as well as glutes and hip muscles to the test. Try to increase until you can hold the side plank for a full minute.

Still on the hunt for the right SUP equipment and water workout gear? Click here for a wide selection of stand-up paddleboards and accessories.

For fitness bands, click here. Have a good workout!

Siri Schubert

Senior Editor

Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.ch

Research diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.

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