Benefits of Paddle Boarding

Image Source: Red Paddle Co

Paddle boarding is relaxing, takes you through some incredible nature, and offers a great workout. Coupled with the fact that the sport is accessible for such a wide range of ages and fitness levels, stand up paddle boarding has something to offer for everyone.

Here are just a few of the many reasons why you should consider stand-up paddle boarding.

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Image Source: Red Paddle Co

Stress Reliever

Being on the water is a great way to reduce your stress. Surrounded by nature, flowing water and the gentle sounds of your paddle splashing, it's enough to subside even the biggest of worries. The positive impact of nature on stress has been proven with research from the University of Minnesota showing that it reduces anger, fear and stress, whilst also reducing blood pressure and slowing the production of stress hormones.

So although your first hour or two on a paddle board may be a little tense whilst you try to not fall in, once you've mastered the fundamentals, it's easy to switch off and immerse yourself in your surroundings. Fortunately, even if you do fall in, there's nothing like a rush of adrenaline and splash of cold water to help focus your mind and forget the stresses of your day.

Good For Your Mental Health

Recent studies have shown that just being near water has a positive impact on your mental health, so when combined with the various benefits that come with exercise, it's easy to conclude that regular paddle boarding could help with your mental health.

Thanks to the UK's waterways usually offering some fantastic nature, paddle boarding offers you a chance to switch off, reset, and be mindful. Many people take this a step further by practising yoga and/or meditation while SUPing.

In two recent studies where participants consistently paddled for either six weeks or twelve months, they all reported an increase in self-rated quality of life, showing that SUPing can really help boost your mental health.

Image Source: Red Paddle Co

Increases Vitamin D

Vitamin D is crucial to our health. It is essential for our immune system, helps us regulate our insulin levels whilst also having the benefit of making us more relaxed. Heading out on a sunny day on the paddleboard is a great way to soak up some sun and get your body producing some vitamin D. However, be careful to not spend too long with unprotected skin in sunlight, remembering that the water will reflect light and UV rays, intensifying their effect.

Find out more on getting vitamin D from sunlight with the NHS.

Strengthens and Tones Muscles

Paddle boarding is a great way to strengthen and tone your muscles. Your body is constantly working to stabilise itself, helping to build a strong core in the process. This stabilisation combined with the paddling motion, which requires stability from your legs and core whilst also working your arms and shoulders, means you are packing in a full-body workout each time you head out on the water.

Whilst low-intensity paddling is great for building your endurance, adding in some structured training such as high-intensity intervals is a great way to boost your fitness. A recent study saw a range of SUP participants complete three one hour sessions of paddling per week for six weeks. These sessions varied from intervals to endurance paddles. By the end of the six week period they saw, on average, a 23% increase in aerobic fitness, 42% increase in anaerobic fitness as well as substantial improvements to core strength and self-rated quality of life. 

So whilst stand up paddle boarding is great fun, it also shouldn't be overlooked as an excellent form of exercise.

Great for Weightloss

Stand up paddle boarding is a good way to lose weight. Being a low impact sport, it doesn't inflict the same intensity on your body and muscles as some activities such as running may do. However, it's easy to paddle around for hours on end, quickly racking up the amount of calories you are burning. 

Although varying from person to person, you can expect to burn around 400 calories an hour when paddling at a nice low intensity. 

Consistent paddle boarding throughout the year has been shown to have a dramatic improvement on body weight, body fat and BMI. A recent study on the long-term effect of paddle boarding showed that over the course of 12 months, paddling for one hour, three times a week, was enough to show big improvements to body composition along with fitness and quality of life. One participant lost almost 7kg whilst another saw a 147.5% improvement in core muscle endurance.

So paddle boarding is not only great fun, but through scientific research and studies, it has been proven to positively impact your physical and mental health. If you're thinking of delving into paddle boarding for the first time, then head over to our SUP collection to find everything you need to get started.