Juliana Garofalo recently discussed five impressive health benefits of stand-up paddleboarding.

NORWALK, CT / FEB, 2023 / Taking up the sport of paddleboarding can be life-changing. Juliana Garofalo is an avid paddleboarder who has experienced the physical and mental health benefits first-hand.

1. It Is a Low-Impact Exercise

Paddleboarding can be as intense or mellow as you want it to be. That’s why it’s an excellent sport for athletes of all ages. It is a low-impact exercise that offers strength training, cardio, and numerous other physical health benefits. It’s an ideal way to burn calories without putting too much stress on joints.

2. Paddleboarding Reduces Stress

Stress is a significant cause of health problems in modern society. Paddleboarding is a unique sport because it helps reduce stress in several ways.

Paddleboarding involves interaction with nature, physical exertion, and an adrenaline rush (typically when gaining speed or falling). All these elements can reduce stress and anxiety, so you return home relaxed and rejuvenated after a good paddle.

3. It’s a Whole-Body Exercise

Few physical activities exercise the entire body at once, but paddleboarding is one of them. It works the core, shoulders, arms, legs, back muscles, and torso. Paddleboarding also improves balance and cardiovascular health.

4. Paddleboarding Provides Opportunity for Mediation

Paddleboarding requires extreme awareness to remain balanced on the board. The athlete must focus on every move they make to continue moving forward while maintaining balance. Juliana Garofalo explained that psychological researchers describe this mental state as “flow,” which is necessary for optimal Zen Mediation. 

This state of meditation leads to numerous health benefits, including increased focus, improved mood, and superior cognitive function. For many paddleboarders, the time spent on the water on their board is the most meditative and stress-free time of the day.

5. It Improves Endurance

The more often you stand-up paddleboard, the longer you’ll be able to paddle before you become so sore you have to quit. Paddleboarding offers daily opportunities to improve paddling technique, strength, and endurance. You’ll quickly notice that you can paddle longer distances at a higher level of intensity. 

Benefits of Paddleboarding

Juliana Garofalo explained that paddleboarding is also a competitive sport. Paddleboard races and surfing competitions occur across the country and worldwide. Competitions can be an ideal way to boost self-esteem, beat personal best times, and join a community of like-minded individuals. 

Garofalo added that paddleboarding is a sport that athletes can enjoy whether they live near a lake, an inland waterway, or the ocean. It’s often easy to find a place to take up the sport. Once you own your own board and paddle, you don’t need a membership to get on the water and enjoy the sport.