Top 7 Health Benefits of Stand Up Paddling

Stand up Paddle (SUP) surfing has gained great attention in the past few years. In rivers, lakes, and bays where the wave is never up, you can see skyrocketing number of people trying to stand and paddle on their boards. This balancing act can strengthen the muscles of your legs, arms, shoulders, and back. Visit SUPBoardGuide.com to learn more about balancing on a paddle board.

SUP offers potentially greater health benefits. Just like yoga, standing on the paddle board also requires better balancing abilities, which in turn tones and strengthens your muscles. Here are some of the positive aspects of stand up paddling that will encourage you to give it a try.

1. Improves your balance

You need plenty of core stability and strength on your legs, to stand upright on a paddle board. By learning to paddle you increase your focus and balance in day-to-day activities. Many activities and sports require the person to be well balanced. SUP has the capability to increase your balance as you try to stay upright while paddling.

2. Gives a whole body workout

While you paddle, almost all the muscles in your body get used up in the process. The leg muscles work hard to stabilize your center of gravity; the muscles of your arms, back, and shoulders will be spent in propelling the paddle board in the water.

The level of intensity of the workout that your muscle undergoes will vary based on where you surf. Your workout will be very intense if you’re paddling in the ocean against the ocean current. If you’re simply drifting through placid waters, then paddle boarding can be done effortlessly.

3. Low-impact exercise

An additional benefit of SUP is that it’s a low impact exercise. Therefore, it’s unlikely that you might damage your tendons or the ligaments in your joints. If engage in vigorous exercises, like weight-lifting in the gym, there’s a chance of getting injured. But in stand up paddle board, the impact is very low, and at the same time your muscles get worked out.

4. Reduces stress

Exercise is an excellent stress-buster; exercising those muscles on water works like a natural coolant and soothes your body. You can simply carry your board and head for the beach to paddle. Not only do you get fresh air and exercise, you can even connect with likeminded people – another great way to reduce your stress levels.

5. Increase in the overall strength

If you spend the whole day on your paddle board, you might end up feeling sore. But that kind of soreness is a good thing; it simply means you’re building up your overall body strength. Taking it a notch higher, paddling is bound to help in shedding those extra calories to give you a toned, chiseled physique.

6. Better cardiovascular activity

Paddle boarding will help you avoid the chances of strokes and heart attacks. This is because paddle boarding gives out similar effects like aerobics, running, or even cross-training. All this workout is likely to improve your cardiovascular health.

7. Improves your endurance

Once you start mastering the SUP, you begin gaining more endurance for constant paddling. You will see a noticeable improvement in your stamina; your muscles will be able to hold on much longer than usual. Your balance will also improve drastically, and your overall endurance will reach its peak.

Age is never a concern for SUP. People of any age can get started with paddling, provided they use a sturdy, wide board for practice. You’ll learn more about paddle boards from SUPBoardGuide.com. SUP boards can be 32 inches wide, which makes it possible for children to paddle along with you.

Newcomers generally start by kneeling on the board and slowly learn to rise themselves up. It can be achieved only through practice. Like cycling, surfing can also be done at a recreational pace, or at a heart-thumping speed as an aerobic exercise.

Being out in the water will calm you down, and engaging with nature imparts a positive aspect to your life. It’s time to take up surfing and bond with nature’s finest!