Paddling season is here! Are you ready?

If you're a paddler already or want to get started, here are some ideas to get ready for the season. If not, you'll find a few helpful suggestions here for getting back in shape! Do you know how you can improve your endurance? Yes, you need to do cardio. But more than that - you need to work on your core, your lower back and especially you need to stretch your spine and improve your strength. If you want to improve your paddling then first you need a plan, and you need to write it down. Why? This will keep you motivated, and you'll be able to see how you improve after each training. Without a plan, achieving your performance goals can be really hard. Also you're risking burning out (by trying too much) or injuring yourself. Especially if you didn't train enough during the off-season it can be tough to get back in shape. Some key points:

• You need to have a training schedule to improve your endurance and flexibility
• Get enough rest between your training so that you recover properly
• Make sure you do your training in 3 parts: aerobic, anaerobic and strength training

For your aerobic work you can do 4 to 10 minutes stroke, then 2 min rest. Repeat this 8 to 10 times, depending on your goals. You can also run - try a 45min steady speed jog. For your anaerobic work, try 1 to 3min stroke then 30 sec rest, repeating 6 to 8 times. Try running too: 10min jog to warm-up, and then do 45 seconds maximum speed followed by 1.30min rest. Repeat this 8 time. At the end be sure to do a 5 minute slow job to cool down. And for your strength work, try a 10min warm-up followed by

• Elbow plank for 1 minute, then as many leg raises as you can. Repeat for 3 sets.
• Side plank for 30 seconds (each side). Repeat for 3 sets.
• Move from the yoga poses downward dog to cobra pose 15 times.
• Hip bridge for 1 minute. Repeat for 2 sets.
• Then finish off with as many push-ups as you can. Repeat for 2 sets.

I hope this gives you some ideas that you can add to your training. Remember, if you have a plan - and you write it down - you can achieve your goals twice as fast. Happy training, and have an awesome paddling season!