The Best Beach Body Workout That You Can Do on Your SUP

Let’s face it; stand up paddleboarding has become incredibly popular. Your friends are doing it, celebrities are doing it – what is this SUP craze and what is it all about?

Stand up paddleboarding in and of itself is great but it also gained popularity because it heightens an exercise that you may already do – such as yoga, squats, pushups, and any sort of exercise that requires balance – by taking it to the next level. While you still work all of the same muscles that you do with these exercises, you also recruit muscles that you didn’t even know you had to do these same things standing up on a paddleboard in the middle of the water. It’s truly a total body workout.

We’re going to take a look at the best beach body workout that you can do on your stand up paddleboard to target your entire body. We’re talking your core, legs, arms, and more so you can be ready to flaunt that toned bod on the beach in no time.

What Do I Need for a Beach Body Workout?

To start a SUP beach body workout, you need a couple of essentials:

1. A stand up paddleboard
2. A body of water

Okay, okay, it’s not exactly as simple as having those two things available to you. When it comes to the location for your workout, you don’t want to plop yourself and your paddleboard in the middle of a rampant river.

Ideally, you should do your workout in a lake or pond. If you want to do it in the ocean, make sure that the water is relatively calm or you may be more focused on constantly getting back up onto your paddleboard after you fall off versus focusing on your beach body power moves.

When it comes to your board, you need a couple of accessories. Looking for a great all-around kit that includes everything? Whether you’re just starting your SUP journey or looking to upgrade, the THURSO SURF Waterwalker All-Around SUP could be for you. This inflatable stand up paddle board is not only a good fit for all skill levels but it’s great for all water conditions too. It comes with a three-piece paddle, a double-action pump, roller backpack, and more.

Before Your Beach Body Workout

Before you head into your workout, you need to know the following:

• With each move that you do, do as many reps as you can – that’s right, there is no set amount! Complete as many reps as possible while maintaining good form. If you’re only able to half, do them and don’t bother doing another rep.
• Be mindful of what you’re capable of. Don’t try to be a hero and do more than your body can comfortably do. You’ll build up strength over time and get to a point where you can effortlessly do more reps and enjoy doing them! Until then, just do what you can.
• Have fun! The most important part of any workout is to enjoy and have fun. The last thing SUP should feel like is a chore. Take in the beautiful sights of the water flowing around you and the outdoors and forget about everything else.

The Best Beach Body SUP Workout

1. Paddle Twists

Begin with some good old paddle twists. Start by sitting in the middle of your board, legs stretched out in front of you. Extend your arms out to the sides of your body and hold your paddle in front of your shoulders. Raising your head upwards, look to the sky as you twist both your body and your paddle to one side – you should feel a great stretch in your obliques. Stretch as far as you can while maintaining your balance and repeat on the other side.

2. Plank-Ups

Carefully turn onto your front and get into a low plank position. Make sure your body is in optimal plank position, aligned and straight with your elbows directly under your shoulders, your forearms flat on the board, and your core tight. Raise onto your hands from here by pushing through your chest and triceps. Hold the pose briefly and lower back down onto your forearms. Repeat for as many sets as you can while holding an aligned plank form.

3. Bicycle Crunch

Now, it’s time to directly target your abs – although, let’s face it, every part of this workout benefits your abs. Return to your back, lying down on your paddleboard. Keep your legs straight in front of you and elevate them a few inches off of your board. Lace your hands behind your head and bring your left knee to your right elbow. Bring both back to start and repeat with your right knee and your left elbow.

4. Side Plank Paddle-Lifts

From your bicycle crunch, go into a side plank. Drop your hips to the board and grab your paddle in the middle of its shaft with your top hand (depending on which side you started on). Now raise your hips in line with the rest of your body and lift your paddle as high up into the air as you can. Hold momentarily before returning to start and repeating. Before you get too tired, switch and repeat on the other side.

5. V-Sit

Next is the V-sits! Turn and lie on your back for this position, holding the paddle straight up above your chest with both hands. Then, squeeze your abs while raising your legs and shoulders off the board – you’re looking for the paddle to meet your legs. Hold momentarily then lower right back into your starting position and repeat.

6. Regular Crunches

Finish off your beach body workout with some good old crunches. Do these with your legs at a 90-degree angle, calves parallel to your paddleboard. Lace or place your hands behind your head, extending your elbows out and back. Keep your legs steady and slowly crunch up – make it count! Repeat as many times as you can.

Post Workout Cool Down

That’s all for our beach body workout! Now you’re ready for a relaxing paddle back to shore. Stand up paddleboarding is truly a fantastic workout for overall fitness and a great way to fast track your beach body. Follow our tips for how to make the most out of your paddleboarding experience to make sure that you have a safe, fun and effective workout!