As the nice weather approaches people are looking for activities to do while enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. I thought I would share some of the benefits of an activity that is becoming increasingly popular – Stand up Paddle Boarding (SUP’ing). The Board itself is an oversized surfboard with an elongated paddle, and can be used in a variety of settings but most commonly is used on flat water lakes and rivers. The recent popularity has stemmed from Hawaiian Beach Boy surfers who used stand up paddle boarding as a means of training while the surf was down.
SUPing is a great total body muscular endurance training session. Ruess et al, 2013 researched muscle activation through the phases of a paddle boarding stroke. They found that during the catch (the paddle reach and dig into the water) the leg muscles were used; during the power phase (pulling the water from the dig in to your hip) the trunk and pectoral muscles were used and the exit phase used the back muscles. So throughout the duration of the stroke all of the major muscles groups were activated and used.
Not only can SUP’ing be used as a means of muscular conditioning but Ruess et al, 3013 also discovered that while maintaining a steady paddling pace the heart rate remained in an optimal cardiovascular training range. After a 30 minute paddling session individuals also were found to have increased balance.
The last benefit of paddle boarding is that it is a whole lot of fun!! Make sure to wait until the water is warm and that you bring a life jacket. There are several places to rent paddleboards around Kingston – so make sure to grab a friend and give it a try this summer!
•Ruess, C., Kristen, K. H., Eckelt, M., Mally, F., Litzenberger, S., & Sabo, A. (2013). Activity of Trunk and Leg Muscles during Stand up Paddle Surfing. Procedia Engineering, 60, 57-61.
•Ruess, C., Kristen, K. H., Eckelt, M., Mally, F., Litzenberger, S., & Sabo, A. (2013). Stand up Paddle Surfing-An Aerobic Workout and Balance Training. Procedia Engineering, 60, 62-66.
