Paddle boarding looks like a lot of fun, but you may be wondering if paddle boarding can be good exercise? Sure, it looks kind of laid back, so how much exercise benefit could paddle boarding really provide?
Paddle boarding offers so many health benefits that you won’t find with other types of exercises.
1. Paddle boarding is a full body work out
Your upper body is performing the dynamic movements of paddling with constant resistance. Your legs are performing the static exercise of keeping you stable on the board and adjusting to the variations of the water.
Your core is getting a killer workout with each stroke. You can’t get more all inclusive of each muscle group than paddle boarding. Get good enough on your board and you can even get into SUP(Standup Paddle Borading) yoga! Classes are popping up all over the country.
2. Paddle boarding is low impact exercise
As someone who has trouble with my knees when I run, I cannot even compare the difference it makes to do an exercise that is low impact on my knees and other joints. Low impact doesn’t mean low intensity, it just means you are not constantly jarring your body with striking impact exercises.
3. Paddle boarding is an endurance sport
Like any exercise, you have to build up your endurance. At first you may only be able to paddle board for a few minutes. Keep practicing and before you will know it, you will have miles on the water.
I use Garmin vívofit 2 activity tracker to track my paddle boarding sessions. It keeps track of my route via GPS, as well as my time, MPH, and the total calories burned. Go a little further each day and your endurance will improve greatly.
4. Paddle boarding can be high intensity or low intensity
Paddle boarding exercise to get a great cardio workout, simply increase the pace of your stroke. Also you can focus on form and endurance by doing a low intensity workout, with a slower stroke. You can really burn some calories while you doing a paddle board exercise session.
I need to drop some weight and improve my conditioning, so I am just getting back into my daily paddling workouts. So today, I paddled 2 miles in just under 40 minutes, and I burned 333 calories during my session.
This was not an extremely strenuous work out from an endurance or intensity perspective, and yet I burned a decent amount of calories. When I really go the distance or crank it into high gear, I will be burning even more calories!
5. Paddle boarding exercise doesn’t actually feel like exercise
Paddle boarding is an adventure. You get out in nature and focus on all the positive things in your life, and the stresses of life just seem to melt away.
At previous periods in my life, I would force myself to do exercise that I hated, because I knew I was supposed to exercise. During that time, I would have rather gotten a root canal than exercise, because I dreaded those sessions so much. Paddle boarding is completely different. I look forward to going out paddling each day.
6. Paddle boarding benefits your body and your soul
Paddle boarding is great exercise for the body, but it is a fantastic exercise for your soul! When you are paddle boarding, you are completely unplugged. No one can disturb you or interrupt your time on your SUP.
Paddle boarding recharges your mind and makes you feel refreshed. There is something about being out in nature that can reduce your stress levels, while the exercise releases the feel good endorphins. The end result is that this type of exercise leaves you invigorated, rather than decimated.
Wrapping Up
Paddle boarding for exercise is good for the body and great for the soul! I have spent years going to the gym. I have spent years trying to fall in love with running. I have tried to toughen up my hind quarters to really get into biking.
However, paddle boarding exercise is the only exercise I have ever done that really gives me a great work out, without leaving me nearly crippled! You don’t have to make the choice between cardio and lifting weights. You can get the same benefits of both by just paddle boarding.
Paddle boarding can easily be a lifelong sport! It can truly make you fall in love with working out again! There is no reason not to make paddle boarding your exercise of choice.
