With the new year in full swing, you may be thinking about renewing your fitness goals. Getting to the gym is a popular solution for getting in shape, but for some it can prove a difficult slog to maintain the motivation even after developing a routine.
If pounding the treadmill or lifting dumbbells seems like a mundane prospect, stand-up paddleboarding offers the perfect solution. No two sessions will be the same, and you’ll be getting a full-body workout every time you get on the water.
If paddling becomes a bit much, well – there’s nothing stopping you from jumping into the water and taking a refreshing dip (temperature permitting!)
The physical benefits of SUP
Cardio and stamina building
Even if you don’t realise it, a significant amount of energy is exerted when propelling and directing your board through the water. Provided you sustain the correct motion, using a SUP paddle will raise your heart rate to levels which encourage fat to burn. This will be even more evident in challenging water conditions.
Being on a SUP board is not that different from using a cross-trainer at the gym — you’ll be giving your whole body a sustained workout, but at a level of intensity that does not require aggressive pace for results.
Paddling will improve aerobic and anaerobic fitness and, as with other forms of cardiovascular exercise, the long-term benefits will be similar:
- a more robust immune system
- decreased risk of developing serious diseases related to inactivity, such as diabetes
- a reduced risk of heart attack or stroke
- more supple joints
And lest we forget – using a manual SUP pump to inflate your board will also provide a mini-workout for the upper body!
Potential for weight loss
The cardio workout paddleboarding provides can be a great way to shed the pounds. How much energy someone is likely to expend will vary according to effort, but most sources agree that SUP burns through the calories.
Just paddling in calm, fair conditions for an hour can burn in the region of 300-400 calories. A touring excursion or SUP surfing session both use up around 600-700 calories. At the highest intensity, SUP racing, the burn is even more pronounced: it’s possible to burn over 1,000 calories in an hour. This will be subject to the environment — competition on the open seas will be far more demanding than on a lake or reservoir.
Even if you just do it for a relaxed afternoon, the amount of energy expended on a SUP is significant enough to make it a useful part of any weight-loss regimen.
Building muscle strength
In addition to melting fat, your SUP board will provide a gateway to stronger and more defined sets of muscles — across your entire body.
Standing on a paddleboard in water is great for your core muscles because of the constant adjustments your body makes to stay balanced. Your abs, trunk, back and legs all flex and contract in the process. With good technique (i.e. rotating from side to side to propel yourself with the paddle) you’ll be working your knees, quads, hips, obliques, arms, back and shoulders.
As a result, paddle boarding is an excellent form of cross-training. In addition to improving muscle condition and balance, maintaining form will also work wonders for your posture — you’ll be naturally positioned in an erect stance when making headway through the water. At the very least, it will bring healthy and welcome relief to those of us chained to our desks for most of the week, hunched over a keyboard.
The advantages of a low-impact workout
Spending time on a SUP grants many of the benefits of high-impact training, at a far lower level of intensity. Unlike weight training or high-level aerobic activity, operating a stand-up paddleboard is far kinder on the joints and muscles. This means the chances of injury to tendons and ligaments is far lower.
Because of this, SUP is a great way to introduce someone who may have led a sedentary lifestyle to regular exercise, not least because it is also an activity that doesn’t require a high level of proficiency from the outset.
The low-impact nature of paddleboarding also makes it a great activity for athletes recovering from injury, or anyone trying to work their way back to a level of fitness through muscle therapy and rehabilitation.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that ‘going out on a SUP’ can take different forms. It’s a flexible activity, that allows for a variety of abilities and skill levels. Not every paddler on a SUP board is going to be using it to race or surf. SUP fishing and SUP yoga are just a couple of alternative uses for a board that will still benefit the rider physically, due their own unique set of demands on the body.
SUP for managing stress
Being out on the water – away from the shore, with the stillness of nature and the rhythmic undulation of the waves – is like a lyrical meditation in and of itself. ‘Getting away from it all’ is possible on a SUP: the sense of isolation, on the float, is a form of mental therapy.
If you want, you can use your time on a SUP to engage in mindfulness meditation — an increasingly popular use for SUP boards during a holiday retreat. You’ll also begin to notice the natural world around you, and maybe spot animals you ordinarily wouldn’t see.
Just the act of standing out on the water will provide a perspective many recreational waterway users and boat users may not get (due to their seated position). And of course, you also don’t have to do it alone. Paddle boarding can be a very enjoyable activity to share with friends.
Combined with a sense of wellbeing from being outdoors, exposure to sunshine (which will boost vitamin D levels) and the endorphin rush from vigorous exercise, taking to a SUP board is a clear winner for your mental health, as well as your physical condition.
Taking your health into your own hands (and arms and legs)
Looking to get your year off to a healthy and active start? Then look no further than paddleboarding on an inflatable SUP.
We’ve got you covered for all your SUP essentials at Two Bare Feet.
From our brand-new 2021 range of boards to SUP paddles and safety gear, find what you need to get started quickly and easily via our online store. And if you need guidance, our friendly team of enthusiastic SUP experts are a click or a call away. They’ll be happy to lend you a hand.
Looking for more advice or ideas on how to make the most of your time on the water? Check out our blog for a range of helpful insights and tips.
