We are all not lucky to live in some of the best surfing destinations around the world – but many of us still crave time in the water because of it’s meditative and calming effects on the mind and body. But there’s some good news for those of us that are land locked – paddle boarding! Paddle boarding involves standing up on a long surfboard and using a paddle to move through the water. Depending on whether this is on placid water like a lake, or wavy water like the ocean, this workout can be as laid back or as intense as desired.
Here are Health Fitness Revolution‘s favorite health benefits of paddle boarding:
- Enjoy the Outdoors: the ambiance that is associated with paddle boarding is far more pleasant and relaxing than being in a cramped gym or fitness studio. The sun and water will enhance the experience greatly- we wrote an article about the health benefits of being in nature here.
- Works your Core, Legs, and Arms: Paddle boarding provides a great core and abdominal workout since it requires so much balance. Almost every muscle in the body is used at some point. Your leg muscles will also be hard at work attempting to maintain your balance. In addition, paddling utilizes the arms, back, and shoulders to propel the paddleboard in the water.
- Improve balance: stand up paddle boarding will definitely improve your sense of balance as you try to stay upright while paddling. After falling over a few times in the water, your body will learn to balance 🙂
- Low-Impact Sport: It is no secret that lifting weights in the gym or you engaging in high impact sports, increases your likelihood of injury. But stand-up paddle boarding is a low-risk of injury sport because it’s easy on the joints. It is particularly useful for runners that are experiencing shin splints or knee and hip pain. With this type of sport it is possible to use up a lot of calories without damaging your joints.
- Great for Cross-training: Getting good at paddle boarding will translate into competence in other athletic endeavors- it uses almost all the muscles in the body and is a form of simultaneous aerobic and strength training.
- Yoga: There is a new craze in the paddleboarding community: practicing yoga while paddle boarding. Performing yoga while on a paddleboard adds an extra dimension of balance to the activity. This can be a lot of fun as well as very challenging for someone who is already an experienced practitioner of yoga.
- Good for Overall Health: As with all forms of physical exercise, paddle boarding can reduce or eliminate your risk for many health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. It can also reduce your risk for coronary heart disease by reducing your triglyceride levels and increasing your “good” cholesterol.
