7 Stand Up Paddle Boarding Fitness Benefits You May Not Know

Stand up paddle boarding (SUP) is already known as a great workout, but the endless fitness benefits it offers might surprise you. Paddle boarding is not only an enjoyable way to exercise but is also packed with hidden health and fitness advantages. Here are a few top paddle-boarding fitness benefits that you may not have considered before:

One of the main paddle boarding fitness benefits that is often overlooked is its ability to work your entire body. Unlike other sports, which tend to focus on specific muscle groups, paddle boarding combines muscle building with cardiovascular fitness. Standing up on a stand up paddle board, propelling yourself through the water, and staying on the board engages your whole body. Your leg muscles work hard to keep your feet firmly on the board, your core is engaged to keep you centered and balanced, and your upper body is put to work when you paddle to propel yourself through the water. Even your fingers, toes, and neck are working hard to keep you balanced and centered on that SUP board!

Standing up on a paddle board (and staying on it!) requires a great amount of balance, so it’s no surprise that paddle boarding regularly will help improve your overall balance and coordination. When you’re out on your SUP, you’re constantly using your legs, back, core, and arms to keep yourself stable. You can practice your balancing skills off the water or try out SUP yoga to further enhance these paddle boarding fitness benefits by improving your balance and muscle strength.

When you’re out on your SUP, you’re constantly using your arms to propel yourself forward. One of the main paddle boarding fitness benefits is improving core strength. Your core plays a key role in keeping you balanced and helping you power through the water. Every time you take a stroke, your abs are engaged, building up your core strength as you move through the water. For a challenge, you can also boost your core strength by practicing paddle board core workouts, either on or off the water.

Another key paddle boarding fitness benefit involves SUPing being a low-impact exercise. This means it doesn’t put excessive strain on your muscles and joints, unlike many land activities such as running. This is why paddle boarding is commonly used as a form of physical therapy for athletes in rehabilitation. SUP fitness activates small muscles in the foot and lower leg, making it particularly good for helping rebuild muscles in the foot caused by ailments or conditions such as plantar fasciitis.

As paddle boarding uses your entire body, it also provides a great cardio workout. This is one of the main paddle boarding fitness benefits that is often overlooked. As you advance your paddling skills, you can increase the intensity of your workout by paddling faster or doing challenging SUP exercises while you’re out on the water. The cardiovascular benefits of SUPing will help lower the chance of developing diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

Another paddle boarding fitness benefit that is often overlooked is its ability to help you burn calories. SUPing may look like a tranquil sport, but it’s an intense workout that is great for burning calories. By doing an hour of leisurely paddling, you could burn between 300-400 calories. If you’re an advanced paddler, then by paddling in the surf or competing in races, you could be burning as many as 1000 calories per hour.

We couldn’t complete a list of paddle boarding fitness benefits without mentioning its role in building stamina and endurance. When you’re out on the water, it’s such an enjoyable and relaxing experience that you can end up paddling for hours without realizing how much exercise you’re doing and the many paddle boarding fitness benefits you’re experiencing. Starting with short paddle expeditions and working your way up to longer SUPing adventures is an enjoyable way to build your physical stamina.