Stand Up Paddle Board Benefits
Jan 05, 2023
Are you ready to start a fun sporting activity that improves your physical and mental health? Stand up paddle boarding is an incredibly exciting sport that gets you on the water and gives you endless health benefits.
Paddle boarding engages your entire body and mind for a fulfilling adventure and workout. From core strength building to losing weight to meditation, SUP provides numerous health benefits to your body.
Whether you want to make a complete lifestyle change or want an effective and efficient way to improve your health, there is a high possibility that stand up paddle boarding is just what you need. Check out these unbelievable stand up paddle boarding benefits.
Helps maintain balance
Due to the constantly moving nature of water, stand up paddle boarding forces you to maintain balance. Standing up paddle boarding is the best option if you are looking for an exciting activity that helps you improve your balance. While it may be rocky for first-timers, your balance keeps improving in different water conditions.
It helps reduce stress levels
In a world and time where stress levels are high, it's important to unwind, unplug and manage daily pressures. With paddle boarding, you'll get away from your pressures and take in the sounds, smells, and sights of nature.
Are you feeling overwhelmed with your daily grinding and other stress? Grab your paddle board and catch waves at your favorite destination.
Boosts cardiovascular health
Did you know there's a correlation between cardiovascular and physical health? As you paddle and perform some paddle strokes, you lower the chances of developing diabetes and cardiac diseases such as heart attacks. So, start paddling today and improve your cardio fitness.
Helps lose weight
Are you tired of expensive weight loss supplements and diets that don't help you shed that extra weight? Paddle boarding is a perfect way to burn those extra calories and shed off fats, and most importantly, it doesn't require cramped gym subscriptions, diet programs, or supplements.
Provides an optimal environment for meditation
The nature of paddle boarding is meditative in itself. When you gently pull your paddle through the water with your arms moving from side to side, it's a perfect opportunity to attend to nothing except the moment you are in. SUP helps you utilize all your senses while enticing you to eavesdrop at the moment and increase your awareness.
Builds stamina
Paddle boarding is an enjoyable and great sporting activity such that you can work out for hours without realizing it. The more you do it, the more toned and stronger your entire body gets.
Enhances joint stability
When you balance on a paddle board, you activate the muscles on your feet and lower leg to mimic physical therapy exercises for joint conditions like plantar fasciitis.
The dynamics of standing up on a paddle board with the aspect of water instability utilizes the muscles critical for joint support and balance in a way that no other sporting or recreational activity can.
Increases core strength
Paddle boarding engages your core muscles, including your upper body and rotational muscles. As your paddling continues to improve, you'll realize enhanced core strength.
The more you learn to balance on the paddle board, the more you strengthen your core muscles.
Increases vitamin D production
When you paddle, you expose your skin to the sun allowing it to synthesize vitamin D, which improves the ability of your body to fight infections. However, while sun exposure has numerous health benefits, ensure you don't overdo it and wear proper sunscreen.
Combats depression
When it comes to fighting depression, many people turn to drugs, some of which pose problems to their overall health. Paddle boarding is a safer, natural, and effective alternative to fighting depression.
Provides full body workout
Stand up paddle boarding works out on almost every muscle of your body. From your toes to your ears, paddle boarding helps you move almost every part of your body. If you are tired of spending hours at the fitness studios and want something more enjoyable that gives you a whole-body workout, then you need to start paddling.
Helps you unwind
The powerful combination of enjoying nature and the remarkable sensation of standing isolated on water lets you unwind and let yourself flow through the atmosphere.
Paddling leaves you in a state of well-being and long-term memories.
It's an amazing opportunity to socialize
If isolation and unwinding are not what you are looking for, you can enjoy your day as you socialize with other paddlers. Spending time with friends and family paddling helps you get to know them better and strengthens your relationships. Book your SUP session, join other paddlers with similar interests and create long-lasting memories.
It helps you connect with nature
Dedicating your screen time to stand up paddle boarding helps you connect with nature and breathe outside air while experiencing the sights and scents of the natural environment.
Its an intense, active, and yet a low impact workout
Unlike other sporting activities that adversely affect our bodies, stand-up paddle boarding is an incredibly effective low-impact workout. Paddling lets you go slow on your body while enjoying nature.
It's useful in rehabilitating Injuries
Stand up paddling rehabilitation uses core strength training to alleviate shin splints and injuries. People experiencing shin splints or shoulder, back, knee or hip pain find pain relief and strength through stand-up paddling rehabilitative techniques.
It lets you access new fishing spots
Fishing from a stand up paddle board allows you to get into hidden coves quietly, relax and enjoy the advantage of spotting an ideal habitat. A paddle board lets you slip into fishing holes quietly and unnoticed without alerting the fish of your presence.
It helps improve yoga practice
Paddle boarding works your whole body, from your back, arms, legs, core, and all your rotational and stabilizer muscles. When you practice SUP yoga, you'll focus on all these muscle groups which help you work on your breathing. This ultimately provides a significant improvement to your technique and practice.
It's easy on the joints
Paddling is suitable for athletes of all ages, weights, fitness conditions, and sizes. If you have joint problems or sore knees, SUPing on flat waters can help you maintain strength since it's a low impact activity.
It's a surfing alternative
Stand up paddle boarding is the perfect alternative to surfing. If you are unfamiliar with surfing, which requires more reactive skills, coordination, and balance, then paddle surfing should be your perfect choice.
It builds strong core muscles
Paddle boarding lets you rely on your shoulder, back, arm, and abdominal muscles for balance. It helps you increase endurance, strength, and balance in your back, hips, legs, and abdominal leaving with improved core muscle strength.
It can be tailored to meet your fitness aspect
Paddling is a sporting activity that can be personalized to meet your fitness level and made more challenging as your capability improves. Its fitness benefits allow paddlers to paddle on their own level while adapting to different paddling conditions.
Kids can enjoy it
Kids can easily and quickly adapt to balance on a paddle board. Even the most non-sport-minded kids will play, swim and create exercises for all levels of fitness. From playing friendly competition races to the king of the paddle board to pushing each other off, paddle boarding is a great way to give your kids exercise.
It is gentle on the body
Paddling is a passive exercise that's gentle on your body. Unlike going to cramped gyms, when you paddle, you encounter minimal resistance; therefore, you won't accumulate lactic acid in your muscles.
Helps regain shape and streamline your figure
Lying down when paddling strains your spine, and it's more demanding. The standing position SUPing allows you to paddle, keep a straight posture and preserve your back. This good posture helps you streamline your figure and keep you in perfect shape.
It improves mental health
Did you know that your body releases feel-good and happy hormones when paddle boarding or enjoying other water sports that promote well-being, less tension, and calmness?
Now, visualize this: you're paddling down calm, flat water reflecting the sky on its surface. You can hear bird sounds and paddle splashes as the blade cuts through the water. Water, vegetation, and trees on the landscape surround you. How is the feeling? Now, imagine how you'd feel when you actually go out paddling.
Paddle boarding is a great sport that improves mental health.
It helps reduce lower back pain
Stand up paddle boarding helps build back strength and prevents lower back pain, especially for people experiencing minor back problems. For minor ailments like joint pains and muscle tightness, stand up paddling can relieve recurring back pains.
However, if you are recovering from debilitating back issues, be sure to consult an experienced practitioner before hopping on a paddle board.
It's an all-round sporting activity
Typically, paddle boarding can help you burn calories leisurely, just like you'd burn during a moderate-speed walk. It's also an excellent activity for the whole family and friends.
Frequently asked questions
Is Stand Up Paddle Boarding good for you?
Yes, paddle boarding is good for you because it promotes an active and healthy lifestyle by getting you outdoors. It builds muscle endurance and strength, calms your nerves, can help you lose weight, puts you in a good mood, relieves stress, and so much more.
What is the point of stand up paddle boarding?
Stand up paddle boarding is an excellent sporting activity for your body, mind, and soul. It's surprisingly easy to learn, and its numerous health benefits have made it popular and fiercely loved worldwide. From improved mental abilities to weight loss to cardio workouts, these benefits should inspire you to get on the board and start paddling.
What muscles do stand up paddling work?
Stand up paddle boarding is an amazing muscle workout. You can tone and strengthen multiple muscle groups while paddling, including:
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Hamstrings
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Triceps
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Biceps
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Abdominis muscle(abs)
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Rotator cuffs
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Heart
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Traps
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Lats
Does paddle boarding burn belly fat?
Yes, stand up paddle boarding is an excellent way to burn off belly fat! That is because you engage your core to stay balanced on the board when paddling. The larger the muscle group you use to paddle, the more calories you burn and the more muscular strength you build, which helps you burn total body fat, including belly fat.
However, remember that paddle boarding is not a magic weight loss activity that burns fats on its own.
To see fast results, have consistent workouts while keeping a healthy diet.
Is paddle boarding hard?
No, stand up paddle boarding is one of the easiest water sports to learn and master, but not effortless. It's perfect for everyone despite your age, physical activity, fitness level, or size, and with no time, you can become an expert paddle boarder.
The benefits of stand up paddle board paddling cannot be overemphasized. It's unquestionably an activity worth trying. The whole experience of this recreational activity leaves your body and mind rejuvenated while letting you connect with nature.
Why would you opt to run across your neighborhood if rowing across waters provides great health benefits? Start paddling today and work on your well-being. What are you waiting for?