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Exercise Benefits of Land Paddling

Although paddleboarding looks effortless, those who practice know it’s a fantastic full-body workout combining balance, muscle strength, and fun. Let’s face it – many people live far from oceans and other bodies of water, and many can’t get on the water every day to paddleboard even if they do. With SUPStick, the experience of paddleboarding can come to you on land. There are so many ways that land paddling can increase your stamina, develop strength, and give you the endorphin rush of an incredible workout:

Custom Training

Where are you on your fitness journey? Land paddling is a workout designed to challenge you no matter what fitness path you are on. If you are looking for a light cardio session, breeze down the boardwalk on your longboard or head down to your local coffee shop – guaranteed the ride would be more enjoyable with a SUPStick. Are you training for an athletic event? Take your SUPStick up hills or challenge yourself to go further and faster than before – you’ll be surprised at how much variation land paddling can provide.

Strength

Your abdominal muscles are essential for stability, back support, and injury prevention. They are also a necessary part of any workout. Keeping steady on the longboard with the SUPStick will provide you with a core-burning super-session, letting you skip the crunches and planks. Looking to turn up the dial? Weave back and forth to engage those obliques, a notoriously tricky muscle to hit.

Endurance

One of the best ways to increase stamina is to focus on distance. Land paddling allows you to complete laps, travel bike trails, and climb hills repeatedly to not only increase your endurance but measure your increase in stamina. Challenge yourself to see if you can complete additional laps over time or tackle a monster hill you have been eyeing.

Flexibility

Though it may not seem like it, during your land paddling session, you are stretching. When you reach up to paddle through to the push motion, you are stretching and supporting your range of motion. SUPStick further supports the range of motion by providing a water paddle’s authentic feel through the downstroke. You are also stretching as you weave, crouch, and extend during other aspects of your land paddling workout. Active and dynamic stretching during your session not only improves flexibility but supports and trains your fascia, the connective tissue supporting your muscles.

Land paddling is a proper full-body workout, challenging your body while freeing your mind. Engage your core stability muscles, stretch and flex, and gain new stamina levels with land paddling. From the novice to the trained fitness professional, SUPStick will be a welcome addition to your workout routine and support your fitness journey.

Introduction to Land Paddling

Interested in getting on a longboard and paddling, but unsure where to start? SUPStick has you covered – from the tools needed, through positioning, to moves on the go. Let’s get into how you go from novice to pro:

Don’t Leave Home Without

There are some land paddling essentials you will want before beginning your session:

Longboard – this one seems like a no-brainer, but not all longboards are equal. If you are a beginner, look for longer boards with wider wheelbases. Although these boards will have a wider turn radius, they provide additional stability as you begin your land paddling.
SUPStick – Not all paddles are considered equal. The SUPStick provides a paddle’s most intuitive feel on the market, with a lightweight yet sturdy design to stand up to your learning curve.
Protective Items – Helmet, wrist pads, knee and elbow pads, and closed-toe shoes. Protecting yourself with these items will help provide a safe experience. There is nothing less fun than taking a tumble and realizing you really should have worn knee pads or skinning the tops of your toes in flip-flops while pushing off a little strange. Although we encourage these items every time you use a SUPStick, they are incredibly essential to wear while learning.

The Basics

Now that we have all our tools let’s talk about our starting position for land paddling. Start on a flat, traffic-free location like an empty bike path or well-maintained sidewalk. That way, you can go at your own pace and not have to worry about surprise cracks or debris running under your wheels.

Stand on your board with your feet perpendicular, as you would a skateboard. Rotate your feet slightly towards the front of your board, and ensure you feel comfortable in your stance with your weight evenly distributed. The foot you lead with closer to the front of the board is up to you – ‘regular’ stance leads with the left, and ‘goofy’ leads right. The foot you don’t lead with you use to push.

For gripping your SUPStik, the hand that will cross over your body when paddling will grasp the top encompassing the ‘T’ portion of the paddle. The alternate hand (on the side of the body you will be paddling on) will grab roughly halfway down the SUPStick – the grip should approximately line up with your waist. If you have ever used a paddle for a boat, canoe, or standing paddle in the water, the grip will feel very similar. If you have your left foot forward, your top hold of your SUPStick should be your left hand, and vice versa for the right.

Let’s Get Going

With knees slightly bent and your core engaged, push off with your non-leading foot onto the pavement. Start slow, and ensure you feel comfortable and balanced before proceeding. When land paddling, use your top hand to guide and your bottom hand to add force through the row. Taking an upward and slightly forward stroke, push your SUPStick into the ground, use a rowing motion and paddle through the pavement. The SUPStick flexes into the movement be design, giving you a realistic rowing experience and limiting jarring hits onto the pavement. As you lift your SUPStick from the pavement, try not to twist and destabilize yourself. Keep your core engaged, giving yourself additional stability. As you gain more experience, twisting and maneuvering will enhance and alter your experience.

Practice shifting your weight towards your toes and heels to make turns and weaves. The SUPStick can help tighten the turns made once you are comfortable. Touchdown on the pavement on the side you are shifting your weight towards, and the SUPStick will make the turn more precise.

To stop, shift your weight to your back leg and foot on your longboard and bend your knee low towards the board deck. Doing this will slow and ultimately stop your board. You can use your SUPStick behind you to assist you in slowing down.

When land paddling, it is essential to learn the fundamentals to minimize potential injury. Now that you have the basics of land paddling, you can enjoy this new activity while maintaining proper form. With a strong foundation, soon you’ll be land paddling with more complex moves and on more challenging terrain with ease.

Learn how to choose the right longboard for you here.

How To Choose The Right Longboard For You

The longboard market has a board for every need. Although this extreme variety gives the rider the best buying experience, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused. To help find the perfect ride, let us demystify some terms:

Deck Length – typically the first thing to consider, the deck length defines how long the longboard is from tip to end. Different sizes benefit different people and situations – what someone interested in starting wants will not be the same as someone who hopes to do complicated tricks and turns. A new rider should investigate a longer board, which can provide much-needed stability in the beginning. Even advanced longboard riders enjoy a longer board for a more comfortable ride. These boards can range from mid-size (33” to 42”, or 84cm – 107cm) to the long (43” and up, or 109cm and up). Shorter boards under 32” are perfect for experienced trick-style riders, youth, and shorter riders.

Kicktail – the end of the board is angled upwards, like an edge of a skateboard. The kicktail can be handy for tricks, getting up and down from curbs and making quick and precise turns. Most novice longboard users will not use this feature, and a board without a kicktail can be more stable at the back – we suggest that newer riders opt for no kicktail.

Deck Flex – a self-explanatory term, the deck flex can make a ride smoother by absorbing some of the impact of uneven ground or small debris in the riding path. It is also easier on your ankles and knees, so riders who frequent long journeys may opt for a board with more deck flex. Alternatively, decks with less flex offer more stability for the beginner and are more accurate to the original longboards.

Wheel Diameter – how wide the wheel’s diameter is can impact the ride itself. A wider wheelbase lifts the board off the ground, are slower to get up to speed, and can withstand higher speed for longer. Smaller wheels get to speed quickly but lower the board closer to the ground, impacting turning.

Durometer – the hardness of the wheels is a factor in most longboard searches as well. The harder the wheel (measured by ‘A’), the more equipped for speed. The softer the wheel, the more comfortable the ride with enhanced shock absorption.

With these concepts in mind, consider your experience with longboards and your predicted use and go forward. Consider each option carefully, and soon you’ll be enjoying the ride with your longboard, correctly selected for you.

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