The benefits of paddle boarding

“Any time spent relaxing at the “Rivah,” is time well spent.” 

–Caroline B.

From sunrise to sunset, nothing beats the view of open, sunny skies and endless water; seriously, everything is better at the rivah. Even though we only stayed there for a night this trip, we squeezed in a ton: we tanned, napped, chatted, ran, visited our favorite café and yup, you guessed it… took the new, stand-up paddle-boards for a spin (even my mom and dad gave them a try)! It was a blast. Through all of the laughs, headstands and tumbles off of the board, we ended up getting a nice workout in too!

Paddle boarding is both an enjoyable and challenging water sport. Though it may not seem enjoyable at first, once you get the balancing part down, you’ve fought more than half the battle. Since paddle boarding requires great use of your core muscles, in order to stay stable on the board, there’s no doubt that your balance and posture will also improve outside of the water. Sure, it may take some (or a lot) of practice to grasp the balancing act, but don’t give up. Tip: if you feel a little shaky standing on your feet, start off on your knees until you are more comfortable with the board. Also, click here to check out some great, at-home exercises for improving your balance and conquering that board.    

The best part about paddle boarding is that it’s a full-body, strength and cardio workout… all at once. Think about it, you’re using your arms (especially shoulders) to push through the water with the paddle, your core for stabilization and your legs for balance.  Stand-up paddle boarding offers a great cardio workout. Whether you’re leisurely paddling along or racing a friend to the next dock, that ole’ ticker is being put to some good use. Depending on the pace, it’s possible you’ll burn somewhere between 500 to 700 calories an hour! Gasp.     

If you could care less about the workout aspect associated with paddle boarding, at least make sure to take-in your surroundings. Being out on the calm water during a sunset is a peaceful way to de-stress from your day/week. It’s just you and the water—how meditative. Regardless if you get the hang of it or not, laugh at yourself for wobbling off the board and be proud of yourself for giving it a try. Like my momma always says, “Do one thing a day that scares you.”