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Friday, November 13, 2026Nov 13

How to stay paddling fit in the off-season

Staff photo by Erin O. Smith / Ben Frieberg does pushups at Sports Barn Tuesday, September 17, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Staff photo by Erin O. Smith / Ben Frieberg does pushups at Sports Barn Tuesday, September 17, 2019 in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Skin-to-the-wind season may be over, but cool weather doesn’t have to cost you all your summer paddling gains.

Whether you paddle to compete or just for exercise, a 12-month training plan is key, says Ben Friberg, a competitive stand-up paddleboarder and founder of the 31-mile Chattajack paddle race held annually on the Tennessee River.

“The main things you’re dialing in are strength and endurance,” Friberg says of training.

Here is a look at his winter regimen for staying paddling-fit.

Strength Training