1. Paddleboarding–An Original Watersport
Paddleboarding has its roots in the paddling techniques of the Hawaiian “watermen” who used larger, thicker boards to get around the water under their own power. As a sport, paddleboarding emerged alongside surfing as a way for surfers to get and stay in the water on days that were too flat to catch a wave. With the advent of a couple of long distance races and the attention of surfer-journalist Craig Lockwood, paddleboarding has come into its own as a bona fide water sport.
2. Paddleboard Your Way to Fitness
Paddleboarding is an extremely demanding physical activity. It requires you to use your arms and back to propel yourself on a heavy board against wind, current and waves while maintaining the right course and pace. One of the first steps to getting into paddleboarding is developing enough flexibility in your hips, glutes, quads, lower back and hamstrings to remain in a crouched position for extended amounts of time. Once you’ve achieved paddleboard flexibility, working on your cardiovascular endurance and the development of your shoulders, teres minor and major and lats is the next important step in mastering the sport.
3. Know What You’re Paddling Into
Having a large, stable board underneath you gives you a sense of stability on the water. In truth, you should only deal with the kind of surf and wind conditions that you have proven experience with. The first step before jumping into the water with your paddleboard is simply taking a look at the surf and noticing any rough patches, rocks or any weather brewing on the horizon. Then, look at other surfers or paddleboarders in the water and what kind of time they’re having. Finally, have a chat with a lifeguard to get an idea from the experts as to how the surf, weather and currents are acting.
4. Pull, Push, Lift and Dip
Once you’ve develop your initial paddleboarding fitness base, you should begin a strength training program that can help you prepare for more serious outings and even races. Organize a program that uses chin-ups, bench press, tricep extensions, bicep curls, dumbbell shoulder raises and bent-over rows. Do each exercise as many times as you can in 20 seconds. Take a 10-second break after each set of 20 seconds and repeat the exercise until you’ve completed three sets. Take a short break and a sip of water or energy drink and move onto the next exercise for the day.
5. Thirty-two Miles of Pleasure and Pain
The rite of passage for any up and coming paddleboarder is a paddleboard race. Professional and very serious amateur races are often as long as 32 painful, or pleasurable (depending on your mindset) miles. However, you should begin with the more local 2-, 3- or even 10-mile races to prepare yourself for the big time. Paddleboard website provides a list of local clubs and races to guide you into the surf of paddleboard enthusiasm and racing.
About this Author
Ashley Rindsberg is a freelance writer and dedicated athlete who divides his workout schedule between running, Crossfit-style workouts and heavy weightlifting. Ashley also practices Wu Wei Gung Fu, a variant of Bruce Lee’s fighting approach, and trained under the renowned Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master, Carlos Valente.
