Stand up paddle boarding is a low-impact exercise that focuses on one's balance, coordination, endurance, and strength. It is one of the best water sports that allows you to enjoy the calming experience of water while utilizing and improving your arms, back, and other muscles. Regardless of age and fitness level, stand up paddle boarding is easy to learn, and it can be the best outlet for you to get the best shape you desire. Not only does paddle boarding burn calories, but it also allows you to enjoy the outdoors and improve your mental health.
Stand up paddle boarding is one of the best ways to get involved in water sports. It is a great workout that keeps your whole body healthy and active. No wonder paddle boarding was reported to have the most first-time participants in the United States for the year 2013.
From improving your balance and coordination to helping you lose weight paddle boarding is the sport that caters to a lot of health gains. Below are five of the vital health benefits that paddle boarding has to offer:
1. Stand up paddle boarding improves cardiovascular health
Activities such as walking, running, or jumping rope are the first things that come into our minds when we discuss cardiovascular activities. Today, we will add stand up paddle boarding to the list. Stand up paddle boarding, being a low-impact sport, can escalate one's heart rate as much as moderate to high-intensity activities can do.
According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, the metabolic equivalents (MET) of paddle boarding can draw level to the METs of running, depending on how much you practice the sport. The more stand up paddle boarding you do, the more you improve your cardiovascular health.
2. Stand up paddle boarding improves posture
The pandemic got us trapped at our homes, stuck with our phones, and hunched at our desks for an extended period of time. Even before the pandemic, most of us spend our days living a sedentary life – thanks to our jobs. An inactive lifestyle can lead to back pain, bad posture, and even more severe problems. This is where paddle boarding comes in and solves the problem.
As mentioned earlier, you will need coordination, balance, and concentration to paddle board. These skills will make room for you to build your strength and bring back good posture. The use of muscles and maintaining good posture are the key elements of stand up paddle boarding. Allowing you to ease the everyday strain on your back, retaining the good posture you lost along the way.
3. Stand up paddle boarding helps you lose weight
If you are having a difficult time losing weight or you want to sweat a little, consider stand up paddle boarding. Stand up paddle boarding is a sport so fun that you end up working out for hours without realizing the amount of energy and time you invest in it. It is also an excellent workout for those injury-prone runners. Best of all, paddle boarding is perfect for those that are trying to stay active, lose weight and get into shape. With such fun activity in hand, you no longer have to rely on monotonous exercise sessions.
4. Stand up paddle boarding enhances joint stability
Without a doubt, it will take a lot of practice for someone to balance and stand up on a paddle board. Learning the sport will give you more room to strengthen your legs and core to balance while being on the board. Improving your stand up techniques regularly will improve your balance in the long run.
Stand up paddle boarding allows you to utilize your lower leg and foot muscles in a way that is similar to physical therapy exercises in treating heel spur syndrome and other illnesses. Standing on a board together with the difficulty of balance is critical for improving one's joint support in a way that other recreational activities couldn't offer.
5. Stand up paddle boarding reduces stress
Any form of activity can improve one's lifestyle. An active lifestyle can boost self-esteem and reduce stress levels too. Today, people associate sports with healthy well-being. Stand up paddle boarding is one of the best stress-relievers that you will ever come across. The idea that when you are balancing out on the water means it can improve your concentration levels – reducing stress and making you feel much calmer. The amount of concentration you need for balancing will distract you from the weight you carry every single day. Stand up paddlers share the feeling of vitality after going for a paddle, similar to runners but excluding the need for intense exertion.
Conclusion
If you are searching for a sport that will tone your body without stressing yourself out, stand up paddle boarding is best for you. From improving one's cardiovascular health to improving one's mental health, indeed stand up paddle boarding is best for your overall well-being. Also, it is a great way to spend time with yourself as you reconnect with nature. Not to mention the serenity that comes with the rolling waves and the wind that takes you right into the moment. Here, you can free yourself from your thoughts and worries. Needless to say, stand up paddle boarding can be a fun activity while bringing you all kinds of benefits for your mind and body.