How to Avoid SUP Injuries

From the pros at YOLO Board

COURTESY OF YOLO BOARD

YOLO Board founder Jeff Archer

Tips For Avoiding SUP Injuries

• Don’t “white knuckle” your paddle. Think of your hands as hooks — connection points between your paddle and your body — as you stroke. Grasping your paddle too tightly puts unnecessary pressure on your forearms, wrists and elbows. So keep it loose!
• Rotate your torso as your paddle enters the water. This produces a more efficient stroke by allowing your bigger abdominal muscles to do the majority of the work instead of your smaller arm muscles. If you don’t rotate or reach far forward when paddling, you are most likely only using your arm muscles, which can cause your arms to fatigue quickly and become more susceptible to injury.
• Equalize the push and pull of your stroke. Push with the top hand as hard as you are pulling with the bottom arm. Imagine that you are pulling yourself to the paddle.
• Find your flow. Strive for continuous fluidity as you paddle. The stroke can be technical, but once mastered, fluid movement is key.
• Warm up prior to each paddle session. As with all physical activity, it’s important to warm up your muscles. Start with light paddling for 5–10 minutes before maximizing your effort.

Source: yoloboard.com