Sport
Kayaking, canoeing and stand-up paddleboarding are pulling sports driven by the trunk and legs, and good exercise: paddleboarding is moderate exercise from about 20 strokes a minute, and in a small study, 6 weeks of it raised inactive adults' fitness by about a quarter. Paddlers most often hurt their shoulders, lower backs and wrists, and in a trial, heavy weight training made experienced kayakers faster.
The biggest risks are in the water, not the gym: cold water shock, offshore winds, weirs and the wrong leash. This guide starts with the buoyancy aid and the advice of Paddle UK, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and other water safety bodies, then covers what paddling asks of your body, the common injuries, leashes and weirs, concussion, and the training that helps, with a shore warm-up and a strength workout, each with a 3D demo of every move.
In 2024, RNLI lifeboats launched 166 times to kayakers and canoeists in the UK and Ireland and saved 27 lives. The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) says that "an average of three people drown each year in the UK whilst stand-up paddleboarding".
It's the first of the five messages from Paddle UK and the RNLI, on a paddleboard as well as in a boat, however well you swim. In US boating records, wearing one went with about half the risk of drowning.
Take a minute: the first gasping passes in under a minute, so don't try to swim straight away. Then Float to Live, and call for help or swim to safety once your breathing is under control.
An ankle leash only where there's nothing to snag on; on moving water, a quick-release waist leash or none at all, depending on whose advice you follow and your water. Four paddleboarders died at a Welsh weir in 2021, and the advice is to get out above any weir and walk round.
In 583 race paddlers over 5 years, the shoulder (31%), low back (23.5%) and wrist (16.5%) were the commonest injuries, and a third of paddleboarders' injuries were to the shoulder.
Six weeks of paddleboarding raised inactive adults' aerobic fitness by about a quarter, and in 38 experienced sprint kayakers, 6 weeks of heavy weight training twice a week made short sprints 2% to 3% faster.
In 10 young adults, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) took 2.7, 4.4 and 6.1 metabolic equivalents (METs) at 10, 20 and 30 strokes a minute in the laboratory, a little less on open water, and was moderate exercise from about 20 strokes a minute. Elite paddleboarders were fitter than recreational paddlers, who were fitter than inactive adults, and held a plank for 253 seconds on average against 70. In a 13 to 14 km race, elite paddlers spent 89.3% of the time at 80% to 100% of their predicted maximum heart rate. In an online survey of 240 paddlers, mostly in Australia, the average age was 43 and most paddled about 3 hours a week, for fun and fitness.
The Compendium of Physical Activities gives general paddleboarding 6.5 METs, and 2.8 to 11.0 METs from 10 to 69 strokes a minute, all measured.
Sprint kayakers combine high aerobic fitness with a big capacity for hard anaerobic work and strong upper bodies; elite kayakers' blood lactate reached 11.0 to 17.5 mmol/L after training and races. In 200 m sprinters, work done in a 30-second test predicted race time, and in women racing 500 m, the power they could hold before lactate built up predicted it best. These are associations in racers.
The Compendium gives kayaking 5.0 METs at a moderate effort, 9.0 for flat-water slalom and 13.5 in competition, and canoeing 2.8 at a light effort, 5.8 moderate and 3.5 for pleasure, all measured; its 5.0 METs for whitewater paddling is an estimate.
What each part of paddling asks for:
Pulling strength and endurance, a trunk that makes and resists rotation, the muscles at the back of the shoulder and the rotator cuff, forearms for grip, legs for the drive, and paddling fitness built up gradually on the water. And the skills that keep you safe: floating, getting back on, and reading wind and water.
Each study counted injuries its own way (per hour, per athlete, per day on the water or per year), so figures in different lines aren't comparable.
The numbers, by group:
In 583 race paddlers, 31% had injured a shoulder in 5 years, and 40.5% of racing kayakers. A third of paddleboarders' injuries (32.9%) were to the shoulder and upper arm, and the shoulder was the commonest injury in Australia's sprint kayak squad. At UK upper-limb clinics, capsizes caused 26% of 57 paddlers' shoulder injuries, including 10 tears of the joint's rim (labral tears), all of which needed surgery: paddlers hurt their shoulders stopping a capsize, during it or while rolling, with the arm raised and turned out. Our shoulder pain, shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tear and shoulder dislocation guides cover these.
The low back was the second commonest injury in race paddlers (23.5%) and the commonest in paddleboarders among them (33.3%), and 14.3% of paddleboarders' injuries in another survey. In Chinese teenage kayakers, it was the commonest. Our back pain guide covers what helps.
Wrists (16.5%), necks (13.7%) and elbows (11.0%) followed in race paddlers, with ocean-ski paddlers hurting their wrists most. Long-term problems are 25% to 40% of kayaking injuries, mostly in the shoulder or wrist. Our wrist pain, de Quervain's and tennis elbow guides cover these; we don't have a guide to the paddler's wrist problem called intersection syndrome.
In whitewater kayakers, 87% of injuries happened in the boat, and hitting an object caused 44%; the shoulder was the commonest site, and the only thing that predicted injury was the number of days on the water. Nearly a third missed more than a month, but 96% recovered well. A review found most paddle-sport injuries are to muscles and joints, while head injuries and the water itself cause the serious harm, above all through drowning.
Fast-flowing river water (33.3% of paddlers injured) and paddleboard surfing (29.4%) were the riskiest settings, and lakes the least (16.1%). In a UK survey, every paddleboard injury happened to people riding waves, mostly sprains of the legs.
In the UK in 2025, 202 people died accidentally in water; 57% of them at inland waters such as rivers, lakes and canals, and 63% during leisure activities. In the US, canoeists died at 0.72 to 0.92 and kayakers at 0.37 to 0.41 per 100,000 participants a year, and accidents involving a canoe or kayak were more likely to be fatal than other boating accidents. In Australian boating drownings, 90.4% weren't wearing a lifejacket, 28.7% involved alcohol and 30.6% drugs, and in UK boating deaths in 2006 and 2007, 24% were linked with alcohol.
Deaths in cold water usually come from the first shock and from swimming failure, as cold muscles stop working, rather than hypothermia, which takes longer. In US whitewater, "flush drownings" were commoner in older paddlers and possibly in colder rivers. In 609 paddlers surveyed through their governing body, 23% had had symptoms of non-freezing cold injury to the hands, and women, smokers and people with Raynaud's or a past nerve injury were most at risk of lasting cold sensitivity.
Leptospirosis, a bacterial infection from animal urine, can be caught when river, canal or lake water gets into your mouth, eyes or a cut, "usually during activities like kayaking, outdoor swimming or fishing", says the National Health Service (NHS). In Ireland, it was most linked with farm animals and water sports, especially kayaking. It's rare in the UK.
Canoeing and whitewater kayaking put most strain on young paddlers' arms, and shoulder dislocations are the main concern.
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Associations in the studies:
No exercise programme has been tested on paddling injuries. What decides outcomes is mostly the buoyancy aid, the water and being able to call for help; the water safety and leash advice has its own sections below.
In US Coast Guard records of 1,597 boaters, wearing a flotation device went with about half the risk of drowning (a risk ratio of 0.51), though many boats had to be left out of the analysis. In US accident data, about 80% fewer people died per boat when the operator wore a life jacket. In Victoria, Australia, boating drownings fell from 59 in the 6 years before life jackets became compulsory to 16 in the 5 years after. These are observational studies, and they agree.
The RNLI says that "If you unexpectedly find yourself in the water and you're wearing a lifejacket, you're four times more likely to survive", citing Professor Mike Tipton (2012). It's a different measure from the boating records above, so the two figures shouldn't be compared or combined.
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In the UK, 9 years of education campaigns didn't raise how many people wore flotation devices, though kayakers and children wore them more than other boaters. In the US, 78% of kayakers wore one, against 19% of motorboaters, and adults wore them less if they found them uncomfortable or rated themselves expert swimmers. Of 430 paddleboarders in German-speaking countries, 27 always wore a life vest and 202 never did.
Paddle UK's advice, through its Go Paddling site:
No trial of preventing paddling injuries was found. In racers, less flexibility went with wrist injuries, and injured paddleboard racers had done fewer strength sessions a week, which are associations. Across 25 trials in other sports, strength training cut injuries to about a third. Experienced paddleboarders used their hips more and their shoulders less than novices. Our suggestions: build paddling time gradually, strengthen the upper back, rotator cuff and trunk, learn a stroke that turns the trunk rather than pulling with the arms, and keep your elbow low and close when bracing or rolling, where capsize shoulder injuries happen.
To lower the chance of leptospirosis, the NHS advises cleaning any wound as soon as possible, covering cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters, showering as soon as you can after being in water that might be infected, and not drinking water from rivers, canals or lakes unless it's boiled or treated.
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Non-freezing cold injury and lasting cold sensitivity in the hands were common in paddlers who paddle in the cold. Keeping hands warm and dry, with pogies or gloves, is the obvious step, though untested (our suggestion).
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The NHS: "Water also reflects ultraviolet (UV) rays, increasing your exposure". Use water-resistant sunscreen of at least factor 30 with 4-star UVA protection, reapplied "straight after you have been in water, even if it's 'water resistant'", and every 2 hours.
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A review of medical checks before adventure water sports advises screening for seizures, heart disease and lung disease, and a swim test for children and anyone unsure of their swimming. It also advises lifejackets, sun protection and avoiding alcohol.
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Measures without good evidence in paddling:
In a trial, 38 experienced sprint kayakers were randomised to slow or explosive weight training or their usual training: two sessions a week for 6 weeks, 3 to 4 sets of two paddling-specific exercises at 80% of their maximum, differing only in lifting speed. 15 m sprints got 3.4% faster with slow lifting and 2.3% with explosive lifting, and slightly slower without; slow lifting helped the start most. The two exercises weren't named in the trial's summary. In 25 elite kayakers followed for 3 years, a 13% gain in bench press strength in men went with about 1% faster times.
In 40 semi-elite 13-year-old kayakers and canoeists, a season of light, high-repetition strength training (60 to 120 repetitions over two sets at 30% to 40% of their maximum, in a circuit, three times a week) improved 2,000 m times and 2-minute pulling power more than moderate loads (3 to 4 sets of 6 to 12 at 70% to 80%), in a study that wasn't randomised. In 27 teenage paddlers new to free weights, 24 weeks twice a week didn't improve their strength or performance more than bodyweight training. Technique first, then load.
In 18 national-level junior kayakers and swimmers, replacing half of each of their two weekly 90-minute strength sessions with 45 minutes of heavy, dynamic trunk training, much of it one side at a time, for 8 weeks raised their power in a 20-second all-out paddling test by about 12%. There was no comparison group, so it's a pilot.
In 14 trained canoeists, 4 weeks of high-intensity intervals on a canoe ergometer (7 × 2 minutes hard with 1 minute's rest, 3 times a week) improved 200 m times, while 20 minutes of steady paddling improved 500 m and 1,000 m times; the groups didn't differ significantly. In trained sprint kayakers, longer high-intensity intervals beat all-out sprint intervals, and in 24 national-level kayakers, 8 weeks of intervals improved paddling economy with far less training time than steady work. Effort on an ergometer felt harder than the same effort on the water.
In world-class kayakers, 12 weeks of combined strength and endurance training raised aerobic capacity by 9.5% and pressing and pulling strength by 4% to 5%, and training in blocks matched the gains of a traditional plan with half the endurance volume. After the taper for a world championships, their strength held; a break with no training then cost more strength (8.9% on the bench press) and aerobic capacity (11.3%) than cutting back did (3.9% and 5.6%), so a little training in a long break helps. Across 27 studies in other sports, the best taper lasted about 2 weeks and cut volume by 41% to 60%.
In 13 previously inactive adults, three 1-hour sessions a week for 6 weeks (long, steady paddles building from 1 km to 10 km, and from week 3, bursts of 10 seconds hard and 10 seconds easy, building from 2 to 5 minutes) raised aerobic fitness by 23.6%, anaerobic fitness by 42.0% and trunk endurance by about 20% to 28%, and improved quality of life; balance didn't change. In older adults, paddleboarding on the sea improved balance more than walking.
Two strength sessions a week off-season and one in season, one interval session on the water or an ergometer each week, distance built up gradually, and safety skills refreshed before the first paddle of the year (our suggestions).
From the safety pages of Paddle UK, the RNLI, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), RLSS UK and Paddle Scotland. The RNLI's pages were read through dated web archive captures, as the live site blocked automated reading.
Paddle UK and the RNLI's key messages for every paddler:
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What the RNLI asks:
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RoSPA: "Always wear a buoyancy aid and carry a mobile phone in a waterproof pouch for emergencies", paddle with a friend or a group, and in difficulty, "stay attached to the board and float until you feel calm, then try to get back on the board to call for help or paddle to safety". RLSS UK's water safety code, if you get into trouble: stop and think, and try to get back on your board; stay together and shout for help; call 999; and float on your back while you keep shouting.
Inland, on a river, lake or canal: call 999 and ask for the fire and rescue service. At the coast or on tidal water: call 999 and ask for the coastguard. Carry your phone on you, not on the board or in a hatch, because you may be separated from your craft.
Water at 15°C or below can cause cold water shock, and the average sea around the UK and Ireland is just 12°C; the RNLI adds that "Rivers such as the Thames are colder - even in the summer". The sudden cold makes you gasp and can make your breathing up to ten times faster, and heart rate and blood pressure jump, which can cause a heart attack even in young, healthy people. If you go in unexpectedly, take a minute, because the first effects pass in under a minute, and Float to Live. Wear a wetsuit of the right thickness for your time in the water, and, the RNLI says, "Wear a flotation device. It greatly increases your chances of making it through the initial shock."
The RNLI's five steps if you get into trouble in the water:
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RoSPA: "Always avoid offshore winds, as they can quickly blow your paddleboard out to sea." Paddle Scotland: offshore winds blow "away from the shoreline and into deep water and trouble", and rain and wind change river flows and tides. Paddle UK and the RNLI ask paddlers to check the forecast and tide times before they go.
RoSPA lists the river hazards: "overhanging or submerged tree branches, a high volume of water (after heavy rain, for example) and unpredictable currents", with cold, deep, moving water that can overwhelm your ability to swim or get out. Get some training first, and paddle with a buddy.
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The cold shock response fades after about 4 planned immersions in laboratory studies, which matters for cold-water swimmers who acclimatise; it's no reason for paddlers to go without a buoyancy aid (our reading). Most cold-water deaths come before the body has time to cool, from the shock and from failing to swim.
Paddle UK's information sheet (August 2026):
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"A quick-release waist mounted leash should be used in any flowing water. No leash should be worn in a white-water environment."
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The British Canoeing Awarding Body (BCAB), in its guidance for paddleboard instructors, coaches and leaders (June 2025): "Our current guidance remains that leashes should not be used on any graded rivers", and leashes are "strictly prohibited" on its white-water courses. In most other situations, a waist-mounted leash with a buoyancy aid is advisable; waist leashes can rotate out of reach, a chest-mounted leash may be easier to release, and you shouldn't rely only on an automatic release.
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Paddle UK and RoSPA advise a quick-release waist leash on flowing water; BCAB advises no leash on any graded river, and its river grades start at grade 1, "Moving water with occasional small rapids". So on easy moving rivers the advice differs, and no study has tested either. Take advice for your water, and never use an ankle leash on rivers.
On 30 October 2021, a group of nine paddleboarders on a commercial river tour went over Haverfordwest Town Weir in Wales, and four were trapped by the weir's "hydraulic towback" and died. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that the leaders' planning "overlooked the extreme hazard posed by the weir", signs didn't warn of it well enough, "clothing, buoyancy aid and leash wearing by participants did not follow recognised guidance", and the leaders lacked the training, experience or qualifications to lead the tour.
BCAB: "We strongly recommend that Stand Up Paddleboarders avoid weirs and other man made structures", with a plan to get out upstream, walk round and get back in further down. Paddle UK: weirs "span the whole width of a river". On a paddleboard, kneeling lowers your centre of gravity: BCAB says "dropping to the knees provides greater stability".
BCAB's definitions for instructors (April 2025), a plain guide to where to start:
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Paddle UK (August 2024), following the UK Sports Institute's protocols: "if in doubt, sit them out"; a paddler with a suspected head injury "must be immediately removed from the activity"; first aid for airway, breathing and circulation comes first, with care for the neck; and an assessment by a healthcare professional or NHS 111 within 24 hours. Don't leave them alone for 24 to 48 hours, and no driving or alcohol. Its guidance has no return-to-paddling stages, so the UK guidelines for grassroots sport apply: a graduated return and no competition before day 21. Our concussion guide sets out each stage.
A paddler who is dazed after a capsize or a knock needs help to the bank and shouldn't go back out that day (our suggestion, following Paddle UK's guidance).
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Paddle Scotland counts knowing when to wear a helmet among the key safety skills. In laboratory tests at 4.9 metres a second, a river-flow speed, whitewater helmets still predicted a very high risk of concussion, though some did better than others. No study of helmets in real paddling was found.
The shore part is built on the site's warm-up guide (editorial), with doses from the site's other warm-ups. The on-water part is the paddling warm-up used before testing in a 2025 study of junior kayakers and swimmers; it wasn't tested as a warm-up, or on injuries. The figure shows the trunk turn that drives the stroke.
Loading the 3D figure…
The movement on the figure: Thoracic rotation
The strength workout's heavy pulling, trunk rotation, shoulder care, forearms and legs, with the warm-up's mobility work. Each has a 3D demo.
3D demoSeated cable rowBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoLat pulldownBeginner · A cable machine
3D demoPush-upIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoCable wood chopAdvanced · A cable machine
3D demoHalf-kneeling Pallof pressBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoSide plankIntermediate · No equipment
3D demoStanding band external rotationBeginner · A band + An anchor point
3D demoProne Y-T-W raisesBeginner · No equipment
3D demoBand pull-apartIntermediate · A band
3D demoWrist curlsBeginner · A dumbbell
3D demoReverse wrist curlBeginner · A dumbbell + A bench or box
3D demoDumbbell goblet squatIntermediate · A dumbbell
3D demoThoracic rotationBeginner · No equipmentThe first two are new: a warm-up for the shore and a strength workout for paddlers. The others add swimmers' dryland and shoulder work, rowers' strength, back and grip work, balance and a cool-down.
An 8-minute shore warm-up for kayakers, canoeists and paddleboarders: a march, arm and hip circles, trunk turns, wrist work, band pull-aparts and rotations.
8 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A bandA 50-minute gym session for kayakers, canoeists and paddleboarders: heavy rows and pulldowns, push-ups, wood chops, Pallof presses and shoulder care.
50 minIntermediate15 movesCardio machine, A bandA 45-minute dryland session for swimmers: jumps for starts and turns, heavy pulls, leg strength and trunk work, twice a week alongside the pool.
45 minIntermediate14 movesA band, A bench or boxA 20-minute rotator cuff and shoulder-blade routine for swimmers, from a 12-week trial in competitive swimmers, plus a daily cross-body stretch.
20 minBeginner9 movesA wall, A dumbbellA 25-minute band routine for healthy shoulders: move the shoulder and upper back through their range, then strengthen the rotator cuff and shoulder blades.
25 minBeginner12 movesA wall, A bandA 50-minute strength session for rowers: back squats, Romanian deadlifts, chest-supported rows, push-ups, side planks, bird dogs and Pallof presses.
50 minIntermediate15 movesCardio machine, A bandA 25-minute beginner rowing machine workout: set the damper, learn the stroke one part at a time, row three easy rounds of 4 to 5 minutes, then stretch.
25 minBeginner4 movesCardio machineA 12-minute routine for a stiff upper back and rounded shoulders: chin tucks, wall angels, Y-T-W raises and open books.
12 minBeginner8 movesA foam roller, A wallWork up to your first pull-up: dead hangs, scapular pulls, rows, negatives and assisted pull-ups.
25 minBeginner7 movesPull-up bar, A stepWrist mobility and forearm strength for desk work, climbing, push-ups and handstands.
10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A dumbbellA 20-minute grip session: warm up the wrists and fingers, train the hand and forearm muscles, then carry and hang to load your grip the way everyday life does.
20 minBeginner10 movesOther / check instructions, A bandThe McGill big three for the core: curl-ups, side planks and bird dogs, each held for 10 seconds at a time in falling sets of 5, 3 and 1 reps.
12 minBeginner3 movesNo equipmentA 15-minute routine that moves your neck, upper back and lower back through bending, arching, side bending and twisting, then holds the spine steady.
15 minBeginner12 movesNo equipmentBalance practice in 10 minutes: tandem stance, single-leg stands, marches, heel walks, tree pose and floor transfers.
10 minBeginner7 movesA wall, A bench or boxA 10-minute cool-down for after a run, a class or a gym session: a few minutes of easy movement, stretches for the muscles you used, then slow breathing.
10 minBeginner9 movesCardio machine, A wallTwo strength sessions a week off-season suit most paddlers; keep the heavy pulling away from long paddles.
Two full-body strength sessions a week: the minimum that meets health guidelines, with every set, rep and rest, and an 8-week progression.
2 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week calisthenics plan for beginners: three bodyweight sessions a week with push-up, pull-up, squat and dip ladders, and a bar if you have one.
3 training days40 minBeginner3 days a weekA weekly plan for women over 50: strength, bone-loading and balance on 3 days plus walking, built on UK osteoporosis consensus advice.
3 training days45 minBeginner3 days a weekA 12-week exercise plan for over-65s: strength and balance three times a week, short balance sessions and daily walks, based on falls-prevention trials.
3 training days40 minBeginnerThe PAR-Q+ (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire for Everyone) asks about a heart condition or high blood pressure, chest pain, dizziness or losing consciousness, other long-term conditions and their medicines, a bone or joint problem that activity could make worse, and being told to exercise only under supervision. If you answer yes to any, check with your doctor or a qualified exercise professional first. If you're over 45 and not used to hard exercise, ask a qualified exercise professional before the hardest sessions, and delay if you're ill.
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A review of medical checks before water sports suggests a swim test for anyone unsure of their swimming. Wear a buoyancy aid every time, start on very sheltered water, and learn at a club.
Cold water shock strains the heart and can cause a heart attack even in young, healthy people, and a review of water sports advises checking for heart and lung disease and seizures first. See your GP before you start, and paddle on warm, sheltered water with others, never alone.
Our epilepsy guide explains that in the International League Against Epilepsy's grouping, canoeing is a sport where a seizure could injure you but not others, and that some people whose seizures happen only in sleep or without losing awareness may canoe with supervision if their neurologist agrees. Never paddle alone, and always wear a buoyancy aid.
These went with lasting cold sensitivity in paddlers' hands. Keep your hands warm and dry, and see a GP if your fingers stay numb or painful (our suggestion).
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Capsizes and rolls injure shoulders, and the NHS says it may take up to 16 weeks to fully return to some sports after a dislocation. Start on flat water, and get clearance before white water or rolling.
The NHS doesn't name paddling, but advises against sports where you could fall or bump your tummy. Talk to your midwife; if they agree, choose calm, warm water and company, and a buoyancy aid that fits (our reading).
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A child-sized buoyancy aid with a crotch strap, so it can't ride up over their face, and supervised sessions. Our guide to exercise for children covers the rest.
No paddling until your graduated return allows it. A second knock in the water risks drowning as well as a brain injury (our reading).
Cover them with waterproof plasters, and shower as soon as you can afterwards.
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Call 999: inland, ask for the fire and rescue service; at the coast, the coastguard. Tell them to float on their back, and, as our triathlon page advises, don't go in after them yourself.
"Take a minute. The initial effects of cold water pass in less than a minute so don't try to swim straight away." Then Float to Live. On a paddleboard, stay attached to your board and float until you feel calm, then get back on to call for help or paddle to safety.
Shivering, pale, cold and dry skin, blue or grey lips, slurred speech, slow breathing, tiredness or confusion can mean hypothermia: go to A&E (accident and emergency) or call 999. Get them somewhere sheltered, take off wet clothes and wrap them up, but don't use a hot bath or rub their arms and legs.
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Paddle UK's red flags need urgent assessment, by ambulance if necessary:
Go to A&E if you can't move your arm, or the shoulder looks out of place or has changed shape, and don't try to put it back in yourself.
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See a GP for a high temperature, headache, being sick, diarrhoea, aches, red eyes or loss of appetite after possible exposure. Ask for an urgent GP appointment or contact NHS 111 for yellow skin or eyes, not being able to pee, swollen ankles, feet or hands, chest pain or shortness of breath.
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Call 999 or go to A&E if the bleeding won't stop, the blood spurts and is bright red, you lose feeling near the wound, it's a bad cut on your face or palm, the wound is very large or deep, or something is stuck in it.
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Call 999 if someone faints while exercising, or has chest pain that doesn't go away, spreads to the arms, neck, jaw, stomach or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick, light-headedness or breathlessness.
Paddle Scotland: "No matter how strong you think you are at swimming, wear a Personal Floatation Device (PFD)." Cold water shock can overwhelm anyone.
Paddle Scotland's answer to "do I need one?" is yes: you're attached to the board, but you may need to release yourself from it. Paddle UK's guidance is that a buoyancy aid must be worn wherever you paddle.
Only where there's nothing to snag on. On moving and tidal water, Paddle UK and RoSPA advise a quick-release waist leash; on white water, no leash unless you're trained to judge it; and BCAB advises no leash on any graded river. Never an ankle leash on a river.
Take a minute: the first effects pass in under a minute. Then Float to Live, and swim only once your breathing is under control.
Four paddleboarders died in the towback of Haverfordwest Town Weir in 2021. Get out above any weir and walk round.
In international sprint kayakers, stomach and thigh muscle activity went with boat speed: the legs and trunk help drive the stroke.
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It's moderate exercise from about 20 strokes a minute, and 6 weeks of it raised inactive adults' aerobic fitness by about a quarter.
Six weeks didn't change balance in adults, though sea paddleboarding improved older adults' balance more than walking.
No study has tested it, and low backs are among paddlers' commonest injuries, especially on paddleboards. Our back pain guide covers what does help.
Heavy pulling such as rows and pulldowns, trunk rotation such as wood chops, side planks, and shoulder care with band external rotations. In a trial, two heavy weight sessions a week for 6 weeks made experienced kayakers' sprints 2% to 3% faster. Our strength workout for paddlers puts these together.
Yes. It's moderate exercise from about 20 strokes a minute, and in a small study, three 1-hour sessions a week for 6 weeks raised inactive adults' aerobic fitness by about a quarter and their trunk endurance by a fifth or more. Faster paddling and racing are vigorous.
Yes. Paddle UK's guidance is that a buoyancy aid must be worn wherever you're paddling, and Paddle Scotland points out that you may need to release yourself from your board. Inflatable waist belts are only for flat, calm water, because you have to inflate them yourself.
A coiled ankle or calf leash on lakes, canals and calm sea with nothing to snag on. On moving and tidal water, Paddle UK and RoSPA advise a quick-release waist leash, while the British Canoeing Awarding Body advises no leash on any graded river. Take advice for your water, and never use an ankle leash on rivers.
Take a minute: the first gasping passes in under a minute, so don't try to swim straight away. Then Float to Live: tilt your head back with your ears under, relax and control your breathing, and move your hands and legs to stay afloat. Call 999 and ask for the coastguard at the coast, or the fire and rescue service inland.
The water below a weir can circulate back towards it and hold a person and their board. In 2021, four paddleboarders on a guided tour died this way at Haverfordwest Town Weir. Get out above any weir and walk round.
The stroke repeats thousands of times, and capsizes, braces and rolls load the shoulder with the arm raised and turned out. Shoulders are paddlers' commonest injury; strengthening the upper back and rotator cuff is sensible, though untested on injuries.
It hasn't been tested. Low backs are among paddlers' commonest injuries, especially on paddleboards, so build up gradually; our back pain guide covers what helps.
Yes: leptospirosis, caught when infected water gets into your mouth, eyes or a cut. It's rare in the UK, and the NHS advises covering cuts with waterproof plasters and showering as soon as you can afterwards.
The NHS doesn't name paddling, but advises against activities where you could fall or bump your tummy. Talk to your midwife; if they agree, choose calm, warm water, company and a buoyancy aid that fits.
Exercise education for people who play sport, not a personal prescription or a diagnosis, and clinical review of these pages is pending. Check with a GP or physiotherapist before hard training if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or an injury that isn't settling, and stop for sharp or increasing pain. Health disclaimer.
