CAN SUP BOARDING REDUCE STRESS

Today I am talking to you about the trend that is hitting the costal corners of the UK by storm… (a very calm chilled out storm that is), SUP boarding. That’s stand up paddle boarding to those of us who don’t yet hang out in the cool gang.  In fact, the independent recently reported it to be one of the most growing sports in the UK and with all the reports I’ve heard about how relaxing it is, I was very keen to see for myself, why SUP boarding is good for our mental health. Can SUP boarding reduce stress and if so why? In this SUP boarding review I explore whether it can earn the VYM stamp of approval.   

 

FUSS FREE AND SUPER EASY

Stressed or low or lacking energy, it’s all about the ease please.

Having moved out of London and back down the beautiful south coast town of Lymington I made a promise to myself I would make the most of it and get out in the calming outdoors more. But knowing how good my brain is at making up excuses for why not to do things (I mean seriously can’t it be a little more encouraging, sometimes?), I knew if I was going to take up an activity/ sport, it needed to be one that is as fuss free as possible.

I talked to many people about windsurfing vs SUP boarding and it seemed that SUP boarding always came out on top for it’s ease of transportability and simplistic requirements in terms of equipment.  Of course it’s worth bearing in mind this SUP boarding review is referring to the inflatable SUP boards. I did give a hard SUP board a go and to be honest I barely noticed the difference. Plus a hard board is super difficult to transport (esp. if you have a little fiat 500 like me).Compare them to the inflatable SUP boards that you carry in a bag and can even take with you on holiday…. It’s a no brainer, inflatable wins every time. 

This is all you need to do to get on the water

• Check the tides. This is pretty important. If you go out at low tide you may find paddle boarding turns into mud boarding (definitely not as relaxing). I use this free app ‘my tide times’ and find the best time to go is a couple of hours either side of high tide.
• Grab your board and paddle. No instruction needed.

---

 

THE SCIENCE BEHIND WHY SUP BOARDING CAN REDUCE STRESS

So can SUP boarding reduce stress and why is it good for the mood?

Well to start with SUP boarding encapsulates a few of my favourite go to calming tools; water, movement, nature, mindfulness and quiet time. So it’s already off to a good start. But there’s actually some science behind this that you might be interested in too.

[udesign_icon_font name=”fa fa-check”] WATER

I could write a blog post about the calming effects of water so here are some top facts:

• The colour blue. Research shows the colour blue helps people feel calmer and can actually relax the nervous system.   
• We as humans are made up of approx. 60% water so naturally when we are in water it can for some us have a very comforting effect. 
• The sound is un-complex and easy so are brain is able to process it with less energy required and has less impact on our senses

[udesign_icon_font name=”fa fa-check”] MOVEMENT & BALANCE

We all know how good movement is for your wellbeing so I won’t harp on about that now. The great thing with SUP boarding is you can make it as energetic or slow as you want with the main key being the balance. So in relation to ‘can SUP boarding reduce stress?’ Well just with the balance element alone you will be calming the brain and nervous system. This is because in order to balance we need to soften the eyes and focus the mind and in doing this, we send signals to the mind to relax. Consequently it begins to clear and we become present and absorbed in the moment.  A pure mindful practise. 

[udesign_icon_font name=”fa fa-check”] NATURE

I always talk about nature, but there’s something very purifying about it. It reminds you that there is a big wide world out there getting on with its thing and that we are merely a drop in the ocean. It helps us to get out of our heads and back into the idea that we are completely connected to everything around us. Studies have now found that those who spend less time in cities and more time in nature are likely to be happier. 

(If you want to get connected to nature in 10 minutes try check out episode 11 of the podcast – one of my favourite meditation exercises for getting connected to the outdoors) .

YOU CAN DO YOGA ON IT

Well of course this is a major attraction to me ☺ I mean being in water and doing yoga are probably my top two most effective, emergency, relaxation tools. But boy does it take some core strength.

I’m pretty much a hater of abdominal exercises and you won’t see many stomach crunches in my classes for that reason. But there’s something about SUP yoga that makes the whole ‘engage your core thing’ a lot more enjoyable. 

WHICH BOARD….

Well the first thing I would say is 100% go inflatable. As I mentioned above they are so easy to set up and means you can transport them anywhere. (Tutorial comming soon)

In terms of brands, there are so many out there and I would definitely say don’t be tempted to go for the cheap versions. If you’re going inflatable you want it to withstand the test of time. As Sea Lion boards show you on their website the technology behind an inflatable is actually pretty detailed so you don’t want to go skimping on quality. The benefit of a better board is the pump system is better therefore less time/ energy to pump it up and because of the double polymer layer, the board is a lot more rigid and the experience of paddling is smoother.

The paddle board I own? Sea Lion board. The first thing that caught my eye about this was the design and the ethos. I love their give back initiative with 5% of profit going to saving sea lions and keeping water clean. They are also from my part of the world (south coast uk) and I love to support local. In fact I love them so much I have recently become an ambassador for their boards (check out our insta page). So if you’re at all interested in finding out more about their boards and experiencing yourself why SUP boarding can reduce stress, drop me an email and I’d happily chat to you about this.

---

Got a SUP board and fancy practising some yoga with me?

If you’re based in the new forest area and would like to give yoga on a SUP board a go, drop me a comment and let me know. I can recommend a great place to hire boards from if you haven’t got your own and we can meet down on the water to give the SUP yoga a go ☺