All summer long I have been paddling about 5 days a week but feeling a bit bad about all the fun. My husband, Ed, had a summer doing PT for rotator cuff repair, Lifting a 1 lb weight and pulling a red TheraBand just didn’t equate to fun. While staying in cardio shape hiking the incredible trails and peaks are Central Oregon has been terrific, we prefer our water sports. Last Saturday he got the okay to get on his board – but “take it easy,”  said surgeon Cara Walther. The spectacular first day of fall weather agreed with a casual cruise with friends up at Elk Lake.

According to Ed’s first paddle back after 5 months shoulder rehab

Since Ed will be training under the expertise of Suzie Cooney (Suzie Trains Maui, a Naish team rider– you can too, just set up your Skype training – left column on her blog) he decided to give the shoulder a nice long warm up. After that, he paddled along the shoreline observing which muscles seemed to be engaged – abs and lats more than the shoulder.  Balancing on the board on the lake seemed easier than balancing on the Indo board that he plans to use this upcoming week.

Why did we get an Indo Board? Some training examples using the Indo board can be found on Suzie Cooney’s website.

According to information we found online, “Indo Board Balance Trainers are the most effective land-based means of training for SUP racing, SUP surfing and Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga. Standing on an Indo Board simulates the instability that a rider experiences when riding a stand up paddle board and allows for repetitious functional exercises that directly enhance the user’s abilities.” With cooler weather and snow on the horizon for the next 6 months, that’s going to be a fine addition to our training mix. You just can’t get enough core strength and balance.

Going for my headstand while comfortable and cozy in my Sweet Waterwear performance paddling top

Balance was on both our minds. I had set a goal of doing a headstand on my board sometime during the summer. In spite of lots of yoga and headstand practice I could only muster a halfway headstand. We all know the mantra, and it’s true, “it’s a journey.” There is no place in which we simply get fit and then remain fit. Balance is a practice, just like most things that are important. The fact that I completed the partial headstand and remained dry simply means I held back a bit and didn’t quite go all the way to my edge. (Next warm day we’ll have another go at it!)

Rick’s got the reflection both on the water and in his mind

Another important thing we celebrated while paddling on Saturday was the one year anniversary since our good friend, Rick, was surprised by a sudden stroke. Fit, healthy and active, that health incident came as a complete shock to Rick. Perhaps his good health gave him the start point for full recovery and the ability to resume standup paddling with all the confidence he’d had before.  All four of us have been more aware than ever of the need to stay focused on an exercise program that includes cardio, balance, flexibility and strength. Now that we’re heading to our mid-60’s we’ve got a lot of inspiration to keep the active fun a central part of how we live.