Which muscles work during paddling?

Paddling is an excellent physical activity for deeply working the muscles of the upper body, toning and strengthening them, without risk of injury.

• The back is certainly the most engaged part during paddling. Indeed, the paddle strokes needed to move forward require a pulling action that works the latissimus dorsi, trapezius and rhomboids.
• In paddling, balance is ensured by the contraction and relaxation of the muscles of the abdominal belt. These muscles allow your body to find its balance point on the board. Furthermore, when you paddle, the upper body needs to stiffen, and this is when your abdominal muscles come into play by contracting.
• Strengthening exercises:
  • Plank: To strengthen all the core muscles.
  • Oblique crunches: To target the obliques.
  • Trunk rotations: To improve core stability and mobility.

• The arm and shoulder muscles are also heavily engaged during paddling and link your abdominal and back muscles. The paddling movements transfer the effort from your abs to your back and involve the deltoid and pectoralis major muscles, which work together to allow shoulder rotation and the push of the paddle. You will quickly notice that the paddle tends to come out of the water when you pull it back towards you. In this case, your shoulders must exert slight pressure on the shaft to keep the paddle blade submerged.
• Finally, the arm muscles, notably the biceps and triceps, are also involved in the paddling motion, while the forearms are engaged to maintain a good grip on the paddle.

• Strengthening exercises:
  • Pull-ups: To strengthen the back and arms.
  • Bench press: To work the pectorals and triceps.
  • Lateral raises: To target the deltoids.