Introducing Gushu, the pulse of the Dragonboat community. Side shuffle with an arm swing is a great way to loosen up your upper body and your lower body. If you're tight for space, you can try doing some simple jumping jacks to get things moving or while you're waiting for your crew. Then find a wall or a partner to do some leg swings and think of driving forward with your hip. Aim to feel a light engagement in your hamstring but not so much that it's painful. Go as high as you're comfortable. Stain muscles activate your rotator cuff as well as stretch your traps and deltoids. Arm swings are great for warming and loosening muscles and can be done both before and after a paddle. Stay in alive stretch your peck muscles and internal rotator cuff. You can do these without a band but create more tension by swinging your arms in opposite directions to add a bit of a bounce with your top hand. Drive your kneeling hip towards your knee to activate your hip flexors. This rotating from your hips first, allowing your upper body to follow. Here, try to open your chest by placing your front knee arm along the inside of your knee. This movement stretches your chest, internal rotator cuff and engages your lower back. You can also push your front leg out with your bottom hand to stretch your groin muscles. Gorilla swings are a light movement based on momentum. Control your arm swings by rotating from the hips. You loosen your shoulders and upper back by engaging your hips and lower back. To feel more of a stretch in your hip flexors and glutes, try going into a bit of a squat by lowering your hips closer to the ground. Half sit and sweep will stretch your hamstring and engage your lower back. Put one foot ahead of the other with your heel on the ground and toes up. Then drop your hips down and back to feel your hamstring stretch. Sweep your arms beside your knee while maintaining a strong core and flat back. YTWs. Bring your arms into the shape of a Y, T and W, pausing for a few seconds to bring your shoulder blades down and together. This is a subtle movement that will help keep your shoulder firmly in its socket. Imagine someone has their finger between your shoulder blades and you have to pinch it. The Y can also be done with the paddle straight above the head and in the paddles up position. Chest compressions. Interlace your fingers and extend them in front of you with arm slightly bent. Squeeze your hands together to feel recruitment from your internal rotator cuffs, peck muscles, lap muscles and biceps. And pull your hands apart for external rotator cuff engagement, lap muscles and triceps. Repeat this movement in the upper and lower right and left to engage each side. Now stack your fists on top of each other and press together. You should feel your shoulder and lap muscles engaged similar to the chest compressions. Repeat this movement to your upper and lower left and right sides as well. What would you like Usu to talk about next? Tweet to us at GoGushu or like us on Facebook and drop us a comment.