Functional Warm-Up Sequence for Paddlers

Here is a functional warm up sequence that includes 5 different exercises to get your body going and get yourself moving.

The first of those exercises is called the Prisoner Squat.
For a Prisoner Squat, you going to take the hands, put them behind the head, just like so; you're not going to lock them together, you don't want to lock the fingers, just going to place them behind the head, and you're going to perform a squat. When you perform that squat, you want to push the butt out the back, and you want to make sure that the knees don't come out over the toes. I'm going to perform my Prisoner Squats. I'm just going to do a couple, for the sake of demonstration here. When you do yours, do 15 repetitions of each of these warm ups.

Our second is a Satchel Lunge.
For a Satchel Lunge, that's forward to back, you're going to have one stationary leg, and you're going to have one leg that's going to be moving. For this, I'll start with the right leg being stationary. I'm going to lunge forward. As I get forward here, I'm going to sink the hips straight down, again, so the knee doesn't come out too far. Then I'm going to bring myself back, off the same leg, and sink those hips straight down. Knee does not touch the ground. I go back and forth. To do it from the front so you'll see; you want to keep the same separation between your feet. Just a normal stance, as if you were walking. You'll see there's a balance challenge to that.

The next is called a Frontal Lunge Sequence.
With that, I'm going to be going side to side out slightly in a B pattern. The back leg I'm going to keep perpendicular to the body; left foot.

Up fourth is called a Lift and Chop.
For that, I'm going to use a medicine ball. I'm going to get the feet wider and shoulder-width apart. With this, I'm going to start with a flexed hip, a flexed knee, and a flexed ankle. Take that medicine ball, bring that down towards that ankle, across the body, and come up. Follow the ball with the eyes on the way up. You'll see now I have an extended hip, extended knee, and extended ankle. Go up and back. Up, and back. Pivoting that back foot to give that extension of the body. I'll do 15 on this side, and then I'll cross over, do 15 on this side.

My next and the final in our warm up sequence, is called the Woodpecker.
For a Woodpecker, you're going to be balancing on one leg, bring the body out to a full extension, and down. 15 on the same leg.

That is our functional warm-up sequence of 5 exercises.
Now you're ready to go.

John Chase is an ACA certified kayak instructor and a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. John has taught hundreds of personal training clients to use their bodies more efficiently and lead healthier, more productive lives. As a paddling instructor, John has been commended for leading safe, fun, and effective programs.