Why Physiotherapists Love Paddleboarding
With the long, hot days of summer, there’s nothing better than watersports on the lakes. Many people head out for paddleboarding, also known as stand up paddleboarding (SUP), and physiotherapists are encouraging everyone to give it a try.
It’s a great way to keep active and it’s easy for all ages and ranges in ability. You don’t have to be super-fit to do it, and if you have experienced pain from other sports, you may find SUP is the perfect way to have fun and keep active this summer.
Here’s a look at why physiotherapists are urging everyone to go for paddleboarding when trying out summer fun on the water.
Ease of the Sport
While it looks hard, SUP, is very easy to learn. You don’t have to have any experience at all. It’s so easy that you can even do yoga poses on the board.
Improves Balance
Your balance is tied to your health, and keeping balance on that paddleboard is a great way to improve it. You need to keep balanced while paddling which stimulates your physical awareness and stability muscles throughout your body.
Strengthen Your Core
The core muscles in your torso are activated while you paddle. These are crucial for maintaining a healthy spine. If you have low back pain, this is a great way to help strengthen these muscles for the prevention and treatment of lower back problems.
Easy on Your Joints
With very little impact while paddleboarding, this activity will spare your joints. You will be less likely to feel sore after your paddleboarding excursion.
Symmetrical Muscle Development
Paddleboarding requires you to paddle on the left and the right. This means you will develop your muscles more evenly. In turn, you decrease the risk of overuse injuries that tend to come with an asymmetrical activity. You get a wonderful upper body workout with SUP.
Good for Your Heart
Paddleboarding is a sport that is well-balanced in that it improves your balance and keeps the muscles in your body symmetrical, helping you to avoid injuries that are common in other sports. Additionally, steady paddling increases your heart rate and in turn, your oxygen consumption. It’s a wonderful way to get that aerobic activity your body needs to improve cardiovascular health.
Plus, it’s fun so you won’t mind the workout as much. If you have suffered injuries in other sports or have joint pains and aches, working with a physiotherapist is a great way to heal and strengthen your body.
Before you head to the lake to try out paddleboarding, head to your living room to meet with a licensed physiotherapist from In Your Home Therapy. Our physiotherapists come to you on your time, making it easy to take care of your body’s needs.
