Ten minutes later, I was laying defeated on the board, heaving for air, absolutely exhausted. While the motions of stand-up paddle boarding are quite simple (as the name suggests, stand up & paddle) it does require full body coordination and muscular engagement!
Firstly, it is a great challenge for balance, trying to keep yourself upright on the board while responding to the lapping waters against the board. This coupled with the drag against the paddle demands huge core, shoulder and foot stability with each stroke. Any form of balance training is a great way to reduce your likelihood of falls related injuries – priming your system with a variety of postural reflex patterns.
After a few minutes of racing around you will soon feel your heart pumping and your lungs burning! This is a great and fun way to improve your muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
This is a great full body-low impact sport for people who want to be out in the waters. If you are looking for an even greater challenge, check out paddle board yoga or pilates!
