It’s no surprise that stand up paddle yoga and boot camps are all the rage now. With SUP being the fastest growing water sport for several years now, there are bound to be spin offs and with boot camps and yoga being just as hot, the combination is a natural fit. Here in Waikiki the weather is almost always perfect for outdoor fitness and getting out on the stand up paddle board is a great way to connect with nature and have fun doing it.

Everyone knows that SUP is a great workout by itself and when you decide to practice yoga or doing strengthening and balance moves on the board, you take the workout to a whole new level.

Now, I have to be honest, I love yoga and I love stand up paddle boarding, but I don’t need to combine the two. If you have a very large, stable board and very calm water, doing a few yoga moves might be fun, but my understanding from many years of yoga is that correct posture and mindful breathing is critical. If you are thinking about your board drifting into another board or getting in the pose properly while your foundation is moving, I don’t think you are going to get much benefit out of your practice. Certainly, falling in to the drink is not going to put you in a yoga state of mind. The only pose I like to do on the stand up paddle board is Child’s pose and Savasana, both a pose of total relaxation. Child’s pose is also a excellent way to stretch your shoulders while creating a very stable platform with your board.

I have seen a few very good yoga classes taking place in the grassy field right along the beaches of Waikiki. Early in the morning and sunset seems like an ideal time to get your yoga on here. I am going to go out on a limb and say that people are just trying to create a business that should not be and SUP yoga will just be a fad that true yoga practitioners would not spend their time doing. I think yoga is the fountain of youth when practiced how it was intended and I plan on incorporating it in my life so I can continue to catch waves on my SUP well into my golden years.

Now, I do feel differently about the stand up paddle boot camps in Waikiki. Many of these fitness programs focus on paddling essentials for beginners such as SUP turning techniques, paddle stroke for fitness, and moves that will make you stronger and a better paddler.

Our stand up paddle lessons in Waikiki are an excellent workout. Paddling up and down the protected channel at Ala Moana for an hour is a great total body workout. If you want to get down into plank position at the end of every lap and do 10 pushups, I will join you and cheer you on.

Many SUP fitness programs offer advanced paddlers circuit training, burn workouts, and coach race technique. This makes perfect sense for the person you wants to take their stand up paddle game up a notch or who is getting involved in SUP race competitions.

For any of you who are stoked on the idea of stand up paddling and/or surfing your SUP here in Waikiki, contact us and let us get you on a board and having fun today!