Paddle board yoga down the Colorado River

Many people enjoy tubing or kayaking down the Colorado River but Yoga Paddle Boarding is starting to become the next popular hobby.

13 On Your Side met with Yuma’s very own Certified Stand Up Paddle Board Yoga Instructor, Amanda Pasquinelli to show us how it’s done.

“I started surfing and when the paddle boards came out and that was a phenomenon and I was also a yoga instructor so just a happy marriage, yoga and water sports; my two loves,” she told 13 On Your Side.

After a brief warmup, Amanda took us out on the water near Gateway Park in Yuma.

“I find it’s an amazing workout because you don’t even know you’re working out. It just seems like you’re out having a good time on the water so it’s kind of tricking yourself into getting fit,” she said.

When asked what kinds of muscles you use when doing paddle board yoga she said, “Everything. So once you are on the paddle board and you’re engaged in paddling your core is firing, your arms are firing, your quads are firing. Everything is active but you don’t really feel it because you’re having so much fun as your own personal floating vessel.”

The bigger the board, the easier it will be.

“If you come out on a nine foot board, you’re likely to get wet, if you come out on a 10 or 12 foot board it’s going to be a lot more steady,” she said. “But you shouldn’t be afraid to fall in because the water feels great, it’s kind of the fun part, especially in this heat you kind of want to fall in at some point,” she added.

If you try this sport out be sure to get a personal anchor. You can find them on Amazon. This helps weigh your board down so you can safely stay in one place. You will also want to use a board with a yoga mat like, sticky surface to help with grip.

“It’s a pretty amazing hobby, right? I feel like you’ll see a lot more paddle boards on the river this summer as the sport increases in popularity,” she said.

We finished up our time together with one last stretch and then took Shavasana or final resting pose as we relaxed and let our hands and feet dangle in the cool water.

If you are interested in trying out Yoga Paddle Board they sell the boards at Big 5, Sam’s Club and Sportsman’s Warehouse .

You can also find blow-up boards on Amazon.

If you are interested in taking a yoga class with Amanda, visit Studio Y Yoga on their website or Facebook page.