Exercise only works if you are willing to do it. If exercise is fun, it makes you way more likely to regularly exercise. This is one of the many benefits of stand up paddle boarding, it’s a fun exercise for women to do.
What is stand up paddleboarding?
The sport of stand-up paddleboarding (or SUP for short) comes from Hawaii. It is a water sport where you stand on a large board a little bit larger than your average surfboard and you also have a paddle to move you through the water.
Is SUP a good workout for you?
Yes! Here’s why. First of all, stand up paddleboarding is a low-impact exercise. It is such a great workout because it hits so many different muscles.
Just by having fun on the water, you get to work out your upper body to improve your core strength as well as build up your legs.
Another great thing about stand-up paddleboarding is its simplicity, anyone can do this with just a little bit of instruction and practice.
The level of exercise you get also depends on your activity level, the harder and more aggressive you paddle the more calories you will burn.
Paddleboarding is great for your abs.
SUP is great for your abdominal region for several reasons. The first is that while you are on the board you are continually or continuously activating your stomach muscles as with Action Sports WA as well.
Even if you are just stationary on flat water do you still get core activation due to the unstable nature of the board and having to balance on top of it
It’s a gentle ab workout compared to doing sit-ups, but the difference is that you can do this work out for hours at a time without stopping.
And your exercise difficulty can rise with the rising wind or added choppiness to the water. Both of these conditions make it harder to balance on your board requiring more effort to stabilize your body from your core muscles.
SUP is a fun way to get a flat tummy.
Strength and Aerobic training.
It starts with your feet. Your toes and your feet get a workout because they are gripping the surface of the board to keep you upright and to prevent slipping.
You will also feel it in your calves as your lower leg muscles make thousands of small adjustments to keep you balanced on top of the board.
Like most athletic endeavors you will want to bend slightly at the knees. Because of this, you will also get a slight work out in your thighs.
But don’t worry, you are not going to feel the pain or muscle strain the same way that you would in a gym.
Remember this is a low and slow impact activity and you won’t even notice the workout, because you’re having fun on the water!
Upper body workout
You will slowly build strength in your shoulders, forearms, and handgrip.
The ideal paddle makes you push the paddle in front of you and then stick it in the water and pull back with your lower arm while pushing forward with your hand that grabs onto the handle of the paddle, and then you pull back until the paddle goes past your thigh.
As we mentioned earlier the intensity of the workout depends on how much effort you put in. If it is windy, or if there are waves you will burn even more energy.
Reduce Stress.
Exercise has always been one of the best and healthiest ways to reduce stress.
Paddleboarding is great at reducing stress because not only do you get the benefits of exercise, you also get the calming effects of nature in the wind and the waves.
Mix in some fresh salty air and concentrating on not falling into the water and you have a combination that is relaxing and stress relieving.
Best Cool Down to a Workout Ever.
SUP has a built-in advantage over any other type of working out. When you are out on the water on a hot summer day and you are getting hot, sweaty, and tired, you have the quickest and most refreshing option for cooling down.
Simply hop off your board into the water.
SUP is so fun it doesn’t even feel like exercise.
Excellent Source of Vitamin D
You have to go paddleboarding outside on the water. This will naturally give you plenty of exposure to the sun. Sun is the best source of vitamin D for the body.
These days an alarming number of people are vitamin D deficient due to how much time most people spend indoors out of the sunlight. SUP is a natural remedy for this situation.
Vitamin D has been known to aid the production of calcium for strong bones and has also been known to boost the immune system as recent events have shown with during these times of virus.
Paddleboarding is fun for the whole family.
Paddleboarding is not only great for exercise but it is a great way to spend time with your family. Kids love to SUP because they get to play in the water and navigate the challenges of staying on their board.
Paddleboarding is a great way to get the kids outside and stay active, and a way for them to get exercise, without knowing it. So they won’t fight it!
If you are looking for a way to get or stay in shape without having to go to a gym consider renting or buying a womens paddleboard today.
There is no better way to get exercise, and healthy vitamins from the sun, and spend time with the kiddos than to get out on the water on sup.