“Pilates on a paddleboard” has a nice ring to it. But it’s not just alliterative; it is multitasking at its most enjoyable and effective. Body Be Well Pilates, with studios in Red Hook and Catskill, is partnering with A Day Away Kayak Rentals to offer weekend workouts combining Pilates with stand-up paddleboarding on the Rondout tributary of the Hudson River in Kingston. Classes begin June 12 and run through August, with sessions at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and noon on Sundays.

According to Chelsea Streifeneder, Body Be Well owner, certified Pilates teacher, trainer, and author, you can do Pilates anywhere, and don’t need the Pilates equipment (springs-and-pulley reformer) to work on strengthening and stabilizing your core body. Because a paddleboard is unstable it adds a whole new element of core strength and intense focus to the workout. The class will teach proper paddling techniques and the basic forms of Pilates, combining both in a whole new practice. Students will be on boards and in the water the entire time.

Never done Pilates? Streifeneder says doing it on a paddleboard looks harder than it is. The paddleboards from A Day Away Kayak Rentals are slightly wider than standard. Participants meet at the dock and settle onto the board in a seated position, on knees, or cross legged, then paddle out to Rondout Creek, where special paddleboard anchors will keep the group floating in proximity to the instructor. There will be some standing balance work, as well as exercises on hands and knees, and stomach.

Krystal Lokys

“If you’re a first-time paddleboarder and you’re having a difficult time, there are tons of modifications,” says Krystal Lokys, an instructor at the studio. “Even just balancing is a core workout.” Or you can just sit, too. If you need a break, take a break, Streifeneder says.

Students can either bring their own paddleboards or rent one from A Day Away Rentals at the Lou’s Boat Basin launch, which is located at the end of the Rondout Creek. The class is $35, or $55 if you’re renting a board. If you think you might want to use the rental to paddle away on your own after class, it’s $75.

Working out on the water will be refreshing, especially for Streifeneder, who is celebrating 12 years of business in Red Hook and 10 in Catskill. She closed both studios for six months during the pandemic, then did some online sessions and later, outside classes, but that hardly made up for the financial losses. She has nine employees and continued to pay them throughout the pandemic. It was the hardest year ever, she says. Her Pilates students would probably agree.

“When I opened the studio, I thought it would be just about the workout thing,” says Streifeneder. “But it’s about the community, too. The Pilates community is family.”

There’s a literal connotation to that family thing. Streifeneder and Lokys are cousins, and Lokys’ fiancé, Jess Hicks, owns the kayak and paddleboard rental comapny. Part of Streifeneder's mission has always been to partner with local businesses; Pilates on a paddleboard brings together family and business. No promises, but there might also be a food truck at the dock, if Streifeneder can get that to happen. “We want to make it a fun night,” she says.

Be prepared to get a little wet; Lokys recommends bringing a towel, and sunscreen, too. (A life jacket is optional.) “Late afternoon is a really beautiful time and very calm on the water, almost like glass,” Lokys says. But don’t worry if an errant wave interrupts the calm. Body Be Well will take care of you.

“If you’re a beginner, come, meet us, hang out,” says Steifeneder. “If it works, it works. No judgments.”

Share this post

Written by
Lisa Green