Fresh New Fit: Stand Up Paddle Boarding

By Cool J

“We’re heading up north this weekend”

Such a stereotypical Minnesota statement, especially in the summer.

Or a Wisconsin statement too!

My family grew up going to my aunt and uncle’s cabin “up north”, and now in my married years, my husband and I are often heading to his family’s “cabin” in northern Wisconsin.

Growing up, the D-man’s dad was adamant about no motorized recreational “toys” at their cabin. This meant no jet skis, no motorboats, etc. The D-man often resented this rule as a child, yet he has come to appreciate the quietness provided by this restriction. With no public access to the lake, we are often the only ones on it, so you can’t help but relax while listening to the loons or observing a bald eagle high on a tree.

Paddleboards seemed like the perfect addition to our type of cabin weekend. We had tried paddle boarding once in Hawaii on the Big Island (MUCH harder than on the lakes) and enjoyed it quite a bit. With the proximity of the lakes to our house in the city, we also felt that we would utilize the boards on the weekends at home as well.

Part of our attraction to this activity was the thrill of getting out on the water and exploring nature. But we didn’t overlook this sport’s benefits as a healthy, safe form of exercise. We all get tired of spending hours indoors at the gym, and are often looking for a change in routine. Why not head out to a nearby lake or river to give your body a great workout?

From my research, it appears that for an average person, recreational paddling can burn up to 225 calories in an hour. However, once you really get going, you can burn 500 calories in an hour. Should you start racing, you’re looking at a calorie burn of around 850 calories an hour – that’s similar to long-distance running, but without the stress on joints.

And beginners, you should not be intimidated! Stand-up paddle boarding is not nearly as complicated as surfing (I’ve tried both, and surfing was a bit of a “failed fit” for me!) Most paddlers can get up and going in less than an hour.

Once they do, it won’t be long before they start seeing the benefits of their labor. Stand-up paddlers strengthen the core, and your balance will also improve. You are using all of the intrinsic stabilizing muscles that aid you in your balance . . . muscles that usually get neglected in the traditional time at the gym.

How to Do it:
The main thing that stand up paddle boarding requires is good balance. The board itself is generally larger, wider, and thicker than a surf board with one or more fins on the bottom. As a beginner, you start by kneeling on the board and beginning to paddle moving into an upright kneeling position.

Then, when you are ready, you stand up with your feet in the same wide, evenly spaced stance and feet parallel position that your knees were in. You want your position on the board to be with your weight centered on the board.

(Matilda watches patiently for me on the dock)

And then you paddle. That’s it. It doesn’t sound like much, and to watch someone do it, it doesn’t look like much, but the secret is in what is going on with your body.The work behind SUP is all isometric and resistance.

Your legs and your core muscles are working at all times to keep you balanced on your board. Every time you paddle, not only are your arms and back working to move the paddle against the resistance of the water, your legs and core muscles all work to counteract the resistance and hold your body upright against the movement of the board. The fact is, it really doesn’t feel like that much work, but your body is busy! And yet the experience is calm and relaxing, gets you outside and into nature.

And if you’re interested in an additional challenge, try letting your pup hop on the board!

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