insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 14 - April 2016 | Page 47
HEALTH+WELLNESS
So, apart from a whopping dose of fresh air
and a lovely feeling of achievement once you’re
finally up and standing, how does SUP benefit
those who want to get a good fitness kick out
if it too? “Stand up paddleboarding primarily
works your core,” Sasha said. “Even if you are
just sitting on the board in the water you are
working your core because you’re working to
balance and stay upright. It is a good overall
workout though because you’re using your
core and legs to lean forward and balance
on the board, plus you’re using your arms to
paddle through water, which adds resistance.
It’s a great sport to add to your existing training
plan because it’s fun, so you don’t really feel
like you’re having a workout.”
Another fantastic thing I found out about SUP
that I hadn’t considered before I had a go was
how sociable a sport it is. Bar one slightly hairy
moment when I had to paddle like billy-o just to
edge forward in what I now know was a wind
tunnel, you can make SUP as leisurely or as
challenging as you like. On a calm, flat day with
the wind behind you, you can gently paddle
for miles having a good old gossip as you go;
if you’re not the talking type, or want to really
push yourself, you can enter one of the many
sporting events that now incorporate stand
up paddleboarding such as #supbikerun, a
triathlon that’s replaced a swim with a SUP.
Overall, I connected with it straight away.
Sasha is a brilliant teacher and I loved the fact
that I was out on the water and in the fresh
air, but wasn’t confined in a heavy outfit as
with scuba diving, or having to manage a big
sail like with windsurfing. Once you’re well
practiced, you don’t have to wear a wetsuit
and you don’t have to wear a life jacket either,
so as long as you’re up to a confident level of
safety and have a leash attaching your ankle to
your board, you can just go out for a paddle –
on a warm summer’s day with the sun on your
back; just imagine that. Bliss.
Moxie Unleashed
[email protected]
07568 107963
SASHA’S TOP THREE TIPS FOR PADDLEBOARD BEGINNERS?
1
2
JUST GO FOR IT
Don’t just sit and watch people from the beach
or riverside; find out where your local club is
and go and organise an intro session. It will
give you the confidence to get out there and
provide you with some invaluable lesson ́