Is Paddleboarding Good Exercise?

The short answer is yes! Paddleboarding is good exercise.  It offers a good balance (pardon the pun!) of cardio and strength training, even during a slow paddle on calm water.  I am totally here for a workout that doesn’t even feel like exercise.

Stand up paddleboarding combines so many different muscles groups, and more than many other activities; core strength, upper body, and legs.  Thankfully, it’s often low intensity (unless you’re on a really choppy sea or paddling against a strong current!) and that’s how I manage to get a decent workout without really noticing.  I’d far rather head to the river or canal that pound the treadmill at the gym.

Burn lots of calories

Like anything, you get out what you put in.  With SUPing, the harder you paddle, the more calories you’ll burn.  Even a gentle paddle, at a pace for chatting with friends, can still burn through 400+ calories in an hour.  That’s around twice what you’d get through in a reasonably brisk walk over the same time.  I’ve not gone beyond a Downward Dog on my board, but adding in yoga ups the burn count to 500+.  And according to SUP Connect, touring is more again.

Great exercise for your core

Paddleboarding is a much more interesting way to give your abs a workout that endless crunches! I find it really easy to talk myself out of sit-ups and planks but a SUP session is much more appealing.  I know my abdominal muscles are working all the time I’m on the water to help me balance, but I don’t notice.  Unless I’m on choppier water – then I feel it, especially the next day!

Full body workout

I’ve practised yoga for some time and that I think that helps.  Like yoga, paddleboarding is a whole-body experience, and a solid all-round workout.  It builds your strength, and you need all your muscle groups to work together. It’s not just about the power in your arms. You use arms, of course, but there’s just as much leg and core work required to keep you balanced and moving forwards.

Paddleboarding is good exercise.  I love it for that, and for just how simple and easy it is to get involved.  Anyone can give it a go, young or old, big or small, gym-bunny or couch potato.  As the sport grows, there are lots of places to have a god, starting at sessions of anything from half an hour for hire or tuition. Check out your local watersports clubs or just do a quick internet search for your local area. My post talks about some of the reasons to try standup paddleboarding but the best advice is just get out on the water and have an adventure!