Pilates on the Water

At Polestar, we encourage you to apply your Pilates knowledge to every discipline of movement you can find. Stand up paddling or “SUP” is a good way to add a new dimension of awareness to your routine, as long as you don’t slip into the water! Stand up paddle boarding is one of the fastest growing water sports in recent years. Paddle boarding is an aquatic activity that is performed standing on a surfboard with the help of a paddle to propel you through the water. One of the earliest accounts of stand up paddling was in pre-colonial west and south African tribes, standing in long canoes with modified spear-paddles. The sport as we know it originates in Hawaii, where they use 5 meter long boards and paddles. Professional SUP started in Hawaii around 1990, when the practice began being taught in surf schools for the first time. SUP is an ideal activity because it doesn’t require much adeptness to surfing (or even waves).  Practicing Pilates while balancing on a board, on the water, is another story.   Pilates on the board becomes a more dynamic balancing experience of posture and breath.  When you climb on the paddle-board, the movement of the water creates an extra dimension of instability and challenge to familiar Pilates poses. SUP + Pilates does wonders for awareness, balance and focus – assuming you can stay on! Polestar Graduate, Natalia Testón, demonstrates a few of her favorite SUP + Pilates routines here: SUP – Pilates.  Natalia first discovered her love for surfing in 2006 but it wasn’t until 2012 that she fully fused her two loves (surfing and Pilates) into a class.  As a level 1 sports technician in Spain, she challenges her clients with new and exciting techniques.  Are you a SUP + Pilates practitioner? Share your experiences with us!  #IamPolestar.