Maintenance off of the water- stretching out the spine

I’ve been seeing a lot of questions lately online about injuries, pain, and tightness in the body and how it impedes performance on the water. In response to this I wanted to do a series on ways to maintain the body while off the water.

I, like so many of you, have a day job during the week. I am an exercise physiologist and train and help many people get fit, recover from injuries, gain mobility, etc. My specialty is in what’s called ‘special populations’- persons with injuries, illness, diseases, even just general body pain. I wanted to share my knowledge with you all so that you can feel good away from and on the river and improve your performance in your boat.

Helping your body to become free of stiffness and pain, gain stability, and even strength can make a huge difference in your kayaking and even in your overall river experience. Since kayaking can take a toll on so many parts of your body I wanted to split up my tips into a series of posts that you can easily implement into your daily routine over time.

In this post I wanted to share some simple stretches that you can do at home, before, or after the river. I recommend doing them daily. You can use your paddle, no equipment needed! Take a look: