This is where my mind goes with most activities…..how can we make this into a workout?
Is paddle boarding a workout? Yes!
Just carrying the boards is a workout in itself! I borrowed the Lifetime Freestyle XL boards from a neighbor and at almost 42 pounds each, it was quite the haul from her house to my truck. I was able to squeeze them inside my truck, but barely. They ideally would need to go on the roof, but I didn’t have a roof rack at the time.
I am lucky to live close enough to a reservoir so I was able to back my truck up and get the boards in the water. They come with a paddle, which is really nice, and have a very large standing surface. I was a little nervous at first, but got the hang of it very easily. The paddling is a great arm/shoulder workout and my legs were working hard to keep me from falling off. We paddled out for about an hour and then hung out while sitting on the boards. The front of the board has shock cord straps to hold any loose items you want to bring with you.
When we turned back, we were going against the wind so I opted to paddle on my knees for less wind resistance. Again, I was sweating hard and definitely feeling like paddle boarding is a workout! I liked how the transition from sitting, kneeling, to standing was very easy and I didn’t feel unstable at all. Once back to the truck, we were easily able to drain any excess water, we retracted the fins, and put the boats back in the truck. These boards are really nice, and I definitely recommend them! I tried to get one for myself from Walmart, but unfortunately the order never shipped out and I decided to cancel it for now.