This morning wasn’t the typical sunny with blue skies Santa Barbara morning. It was chilly, foggy, and the gray color of the sky blended into the icy cold waters of the Pacific Ocean. I wasn’t about to let the dreary conditions stop me from getting out on my new stand up paddle board, though.
My new SUP is shorter than most boards – 10’6″ and the guys in the shop told me it would feel squirly at first. I wanted to test my core strength on easy water. The water was as smooth as glass. Perfect!
My best college friend Heather joined me on her surfboard for moral support. With virtually no waves to speak of, we couldn’t ask for better conditions (remember, I’m not a fully-fledged surfer chic yet!). I managed to stand right up and paddle away. We paddled through the quiet morning to nothing but the sound of the birds and the faint music from a sailboat in the distance.
I achieve a Zen state of mind stand up paddling. The sport requires focus at first, and clears the mind of all the muck and noise that clamor for my attention. The fear of falling naturally results in 100% focus as balance gets tested, strength develops, and learning a new sport creates new cross bridges in the brain. Add the sheer fun of play, marine wildlife like seals and pelicans, and the occasional ballsy swimmer, and the end result is one fantastic sport.
Without the necessary muscles, stand up paddling can be an uncoordinated and frustrating experience. As a personal fitness trainer, I’m combining strength workouts with stand up paddling for my adventurous clients. The ground workout strengthens the abs, back, butt, and arms, and the sport specific exercises translate directly to peak performance on the board.
Contact us to arrange your combined strength workout and stand up paddling session today!