Humankind has been making knackering use of the world’s numerous waterways since the beginning of time on planet Earth. Water is unmistakably essential for life—and utterly necessary for innovation, substance, and survival. Stemming back centuries, many river-based or coastal cultures have historically utilized boats, watercraft, rafts, canoes, and other aquatic vessels to travel, fish, ride waves, and even make cries of war.

One water-based action in particular—propelling oneself on a floating platform with a paddle—traces across continents and back thousands of years. The current form of this popular transportive activity is known as standup paddleboarding. Standup paddleboarding, also fondly called SUP by its enthusiasts, is a relatively safe and low-impact sport for people of all ages and skill levels. This favorite watersport has sadly yet to gain Olympic-standard recognition on the big stage but is continuing to paddle hard to make the list of aquatic sports at the 2028 games.

As an outdoor sporting activity, standup paddleboarding offers a plethora of advantages for one’s wellbeing. If you’re aiming to complete a lifestyle change or desire an enjoyably effective way to improve your health or body fitness, you can’t go wrong with this versatile activity. Regardless of one’s goals, purposes, or personality, there’s truly something to get out of it for everyone. Let’s take a closer look at the top 10 health and fitness benefits of stand up paddleboarding—these perks may be just what the doctor ordered.

Maintain and Improve Balance

If you take a gander at any individual performing this activity, you’ll be instantly amazed by one core skill: balance maintenance. Balance is the key to SUP, requiring rookies to learn the best balancing practices before heading out for a longer paddle ride or race. For beginners, it’s natural to initially struggle with balance before getting the true hang of it. The ultimate equilibrium challenge is dependent on the size and width of the board, as a larger and wider paddleboard can provide greater stability.

Out of the 10 health and fitness benefits of stand up paddleboarding, stability and coordination improvement are number one on the list. A good sense of balance is vital for certain professions and age groups, but everyone can benefit from the muscle workout. All you have to do is stand on the board and let yourself adapt to the movement of the flowing water lying beneath you.

Endurance Booster

Let’s face it: our everyday lives are as equally revitalizing as they are exhausting. Daily tasks can oftentimes feel too arduous and taxing, taking up too much effort and energy. This is where the need for steady stamina levels comes into play.

Building up your endurance level can be easier said than done. Fortunately, satisfying fitness activities—such as the worldwide admired standup paddleboarding—exist. Continuously paddling on the water provides the user's body with a steady and favorable cardiovascular challenge. Increasing pace, duration, and condition techniques over time support one’s efforts to boost daily stamina levels. Comparable to jogging or running, you can create and sustain an intensity routine that best works for your goals.

Aids Cardiovascular Health

As mentioned above, paddleboarding is adequate means for contending with your cardiovascular health, as you can create the level of cardio you desire. After improving your strength and coordination skills, you can race friends or family members for a greater motivating challenge. Your heart rate is bound to increase as you race across the water.

Calorie Burning for Weight Goals

If you’re looking to burn fat or lose a few pounds, SUP is the simple but effective way to go. No need for pricey diet programs or memberships to the mundane gym. The ultimate amount of calories burned depends on the time and intensity of the workout. Moderately-paced walks won’t burn as many calories as high-speed racing, but it’s still a fun way to build up a workout and keep your weight in check.

Comprehensive Body and Core Strength

Standup paddleboarding offers participants a full-body workout of their arms, shoulders, legs, torso, back muscles, and core. The arms notably do the most work, but the forward momentum engages all the minuscule stabilizers of one's core. Ergo, the right stroke technique is equivalent to an ab-crunching sit-up.

Low-Impact Exercise

Strength-based workouts typically require high-impact intensity, but SUP alternatively is a strength-building, low-impact activity. Relatively speaking, this sport cannot do serious harm to tendons or ligaments, making it suitable for athletes, those with more chronic aches and pains, or those who are still recovering from past injuries.

Stress Reduction and Relief

Standup paddleboarding is the best of both worlds, an idealist combination perfectly alleviating your daily stressors. There are two reasons why: 1) water naturally soothes the body 2) exercise naturally reduces stress. As your board glides across smooth water, the cadenced rhythm of your stoke and steady breathing will briskly melt those stresses away.

Focus and Concentration Enhancement

From a mental standpoint, standup paddleboarding is an ideal method to clear your mind of external worries and focus on the task at hand. Thanks to the steady workout and surrounding environmental conditions, SUP provides ample opportunity to grab some fresh air, unwind from personal dilemmas, and concentrate on a soothing distraction from life’s worries.

Connection With the Natural World

The nature immersion element of standup paddleboarding is the main reason why participants widely enjoy the outdoor activity. Similar to favorable green spaces, blue-space environments of the aquatic variety remarkably support one’s health and wellbeing by providing a relaxing atmosphere. SUP is a good reason to get off the couch and get back in touch with the tranquility of Mother Nature—not to mention a good soak of Vitamin D.

Choose Your Own Pace and Perspective

Compared to the monotony of gym workouts or at-home fitness regimens, standup paddleboarders can keep their workouts consistently thrilling and unpredictable. The options are limitless in scope or scale. You can choose to vary intensity, brave rougher conditions, or try fresh perspectives or activities completely, such as SUP yoga. Another popular alternative is to add on an outboard motor for enjoyable propulsion.

Jet propulsion systems motorize paddleboards to give water enthusiasts an extra pace boost when needed. These beneficial accessories are safely ideal for newbies, kids, or those who desire more room and time to explore waterways. Here at Bixpy, we offer the leading paddleboard propulsion motor in the industry to power your personal watercraft. Ultra-light and durable, our Bixpy J-2 Outboard Kit comes with 12 forward speeds to suit your needs. Contact us with any questions about this advanced propulsion system today.