Have you ever wondered why people who paddle-board feel so enthusiastic about SUP? The common answer would be that as with many sports, it has something to do with the fact that when we exercise and pump our cardio-vascular system, our bodies release endorphins, the hormones synthesised within our brain and nervous system responsible for feelings of happiness and euphoria. Hence the rush of good feelings isn’t surprising. But we believe there is more to it!
More that what meets the eye!
However, at PBAsia.com we believe that there is more than what meet the eye. It’s important to consider that paddle boarding is a great physical work out that exercises our entire bodies, it’s relaxing activity suitable cleansing our mind and releasing stress and it’s also perfect for socialising with others and exploring new unknown places.
Let me give you our 5 favourite aspects of SUP that we at PBA love and why we think this simple water sport gives back so much to its practitioners.
1. It’s great for our physical well-being
Standup paddle boarding is an awesome full-body workout, which is one of the main reason why many top athletes from various sports use SUP to cross-train. Whether we standup paddle, SUP surf, practice SUP yoga or SUP pilates we are basically engaging all muscles in our body while burning tons of calories, increasing our heart rate, and getting those above mentioned endorphins flooding our body. In other words, standup paddling forces us to activate muscles from the shoulders all the way down to our toes.
2. Mental health is worth of gold – unwind naturally.
It’s hard to find a more relaxing setup than being out on the water, surrounded by nature in its “organic” beauty. It’s scientifically proven that quiet, green-blue, natural environment helps people to you relax and release stress. Post-paddle happiness is the result of the altered brain chemistry (endorphins), but feeling good while paddling is influenced to large extend by the environment and our ability to better tune out the stresses of everyday life during our SUP session.
3. Share the good time with friends
When you SUP with friends it’s safer and also more fun. Cruising on your paddle board is fun in itself but if you want more, there are plenty of social SUP activities to do. SUP tours that include exploring hidden places alongside local rivers and shorelines such as coffee shops and restaurants situated on the other side of rivers or within hard to reach river arms and water channels. There are also SUP-related activities such as festivals, competitions and heaps of events to join. Noteworthy are SUP events organised for kids as it’s a great activity for summer camps and schools. There are endless opportunities to make new friends and lasting memories when we paddle board.
4. Be strong, challenge yourself and your pals!
The competitive side of SUP is worth mentioning as it’s becoming progressively more popular. Races are held year-round and worldwide. Actually it seems like there’s a competitive event suitable for every type of standup paddler, including river races, SUP surf contests, downwind races, and sprints–all with varying board classes, age and skill level divisions. SUP isn’t as popular in South East Asia yet, as it is in Australia or USA however the sport is picking up the stream and a new competitive events are emerging across Asia. I would suggest to follow your local facebook groups such as SUP Club Saigon to see what’s going on in our area.
5. Thee adventure of exploration and discovery
Paddle boarding is great for exploration and discovery of new places. The ability to travel longer distances by water means that you can reach points alongside local rivers and shorelines, including small islands that would be otherwise out of your reach.
Reach places you’ve never laid eyes upon
Exploring new invigorates our souls with the excitement of the unfamiliar and the unknown. From exotic countries to our local waterways, standup paddling gives people the chance to explore the world from a different perspective.
We hope that these 5 aspects of SUP that we love will help you to understand why this sport is so popular and perhaps give you reason to try it on your own.
