Stand up paddling is great for your core, yes? It sure is if you know how to activate your body’s big muscle groups and not only your arms. However stand up paddling fitness has much more to offer you than a strong core.
We’re increasingly stressed. The kind of work we do in this day and age is mostly ‘knowledge work’. We use our brains to design, problem solve and collaborate. The days of leaving a job in the workplace seem long gone. Today’s real challenge is switching off from our sometimes exciting, sometimes frustrating and often demanding jobs. Exercise is one way of managing these stresses.
Good for your Body
Research is utterly conclusive in saying exercise is good for your body. We all know that at least in concept. It improves the function of your heart, lungs and blood vessels and your muscles’ ability to use oxygen efficiently. It’s universally agreed this reduces risk of heart disease, can help with weight control and decreases blood pressure and cholesterol and stress levels.
Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) can be a great way to get your heart pumping. You might not associate SUP with vigorous exercise, partly because many of the images you see are relaxed and cruisy looking. However, if you increase your stroke rate (like a cycling or running cadence) all of a sudden you have an amazing form of aerobic exercise.
We do this with paddlers of all abilities in our PaddleFit Water classes. We use programmed interval training to either introduce you to higher stroke rates progressively or get you a really great workout. Our PaddleFit Complete classes are high intensity interval style training (HIIT) and combine paddle sprints (to and from the beach) with a circuit of strength exercises on the beach. A killer workout.
But we also know exercise makes you feel better mentally.
Better for your Brain
So now add the ‘x-factor’ stand up paddling has to offer your exercise or fitness regime. Water. Being on it, in it or simply near it is proved to ‘quiet’ the brain’s executive function, enhance your mood and connection with people and make you more creative (Blue Mind – Wallace J Nichols). Water’s blueness, it’s motion, smell, sounds and sensations cause the brain to release feel good chemicals like dopamine, endorphins and oxytocin. That’s instinctive and a product of our earlier (usually positive) experiences around water.
Being in natural environments is increasingly scientifically recognised as having wider health benefits beyond the brain alone. A recent study by the University of East Anglia in the UK points to cardiovascular benefits like reduced blood pressure and heart rate, increased sleep duration and reduced stress levels.
So this summer, combine the benefits of exercise with the positive impact of being on water to work your body and relax your mind all in one.
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