Are you tired of running or going to the gym? Doing a workout and keeping fit can be tiring sometimes, but if you can find a little more time in your schedule, you could try something new like stand up paddle boarding. The beauty of stand up paddle boarding is that it can be done pretty much anywhere – at the beach, on a quiet and still lake, or even on a rushing river. Maybe it’s best to get a bit of experience before trying the last one though!
In this post, we’ll take a look at the best health reasons to try stand up paddle boarding. Hopefully, it’ll persuade you to ditch your gym membership and enjoy the great outdoors from your board!
It’s a great workout
First of all, stand up paddle boarding is a great workout for the entire body. The part of the body that most obviously benefits from stand up paddle boarding is the core. And you will notice after a few months that your abs feel a lot more solid. However, it really doesn’t leave any muscles off duty the whole time you’re on your board. Your legs will be working overtime to keep your stable and planted on the board, while your arms will be propelling your forward with your paddle. Back muscles will also be called upon to keep you stable and upright.
If you want the easiest way to engage your whole body, there are few better ways to do so than stand up paddle boarding. While it may sound like you’ll feel exhausted afterwards, that isn’t the case at all!
You’ll lose weight
As well as being a great workout and focusing on your muscles, stand up paddle boarding is a great way to lose weight. And that’s one of the key reasons many people start a new exercise regime. Combined with healthy eating, you’ll see results from SUP in just a few weeks.
Like any sport, there are different levels of stand up paddle boarding and each will contribute to weight loss in its own way. From a regular paddle, you’re likely to be burning somewhere between 300 and 450 calories an hour. This is twice the amount that you’d get from a leisurely walk.
If you’re hoping for something more intense and strenuous, perhaps consider another way of using your paddleboard. SUP yoga can burn around 500 calories in a session, while surf SUP can burn as much as double regular paddle boarding over an hour. The best way to lose weight is with SUP racing or touring. You can burn over 1,000 calories an hour!
However, take it easy and be sensible. It’s best to get acquainted with the board and the sport before you try touring and racing!
Great cardio
Perhaps the most important muscle in the body, the heart is not left alone by stand up paddle boarding. Because your muscles are all on the move, your heart is working much harder so that blood is pumped through your body, speeding up your circulation.
Heart health is something that you may not be thinking of when you begin stand up paddle boarding, however, it’s a long term benefit that is hard to ignore once you know about it. While you’ll feel great immediately from the increased circulation, in the long term you’ll also be reducing the risk of unpleasant health complications like strokes, heart attacks and diabetes.
It’s low impact
We’ve already touched on this a little, but one of the great things about stand up paddle boarding is that you won’t feel completely exhausted after you’ve done it. Despite all of your muscles getting a good workout, SUP is a low impact sport – just like swimming.
SUP is an excellent alternative to swimming for athletes who are coming back from injury. Using muscles in this way can actually speed up the healing process, and there’s very little risk of damaging muscles, joints, and ligaments.
It’s good for your mental health
Not only is stand up paddle boarding beneficial for your mental health, but it also really helps your mental health too. Being surrounded by nature and the therapeutic effects of water is proven to reduce stress levels and make your thinking clearer.
Being out on the water away from everything means that you can disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life both physically and mentally.
Versatility Last but not least is the versatility of stand up paddle boarding. While you can enjoy regular SUP, there are so many alternatives – and they do say variety is the spice of life! Get up early and enjoy the sunrise with a spot of yoga on your SUP, spend a day on a peaceful lake with some SUP fishing, or hit the waves with surf SUP. The possibilities are endless