You have heard all about the health benefits of paddle boarding. It promotes mental health, engages all your muscles, helps with balance, and burns calories.
But this is not enough information, especially if you are on a fitness journey and looking to lose weight.
Exactly how many calories are burnt paddle boarding? Can you lose weight paddle boarding? Is it really a good workout?
Here, we will answer these and any other questions you might have about SUP fitness.
Calories Burned Calculator
According to this calorie calculator, the average person will burn anywhere from 400 to 550 calories paddle boarding for one hour.
Some paddlers will burn more and others fewer. It depends on how vigorous your paddle boarding workout is and your weight.
For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, you will burn 430 calories per hour paddle boarding. If you are 300 pounds you will burn 859 calories.
Just enter your weight in the calculator above to know how many calories you will burn.
But all paddle boarding is not the same. There are different stand up paddling workouts and their intensity varies.
The Different Paddle Boarding Workouts
1. Calories Burned SUP Racing
SUP racing is a high-intensity exercise. There is no better way to burn many calories in an hour, especially if you consider yourself competitive.
You will be paddling vigorously the entire time, almost at maximum heart rate. If the race happens when it’s a little windy and the water is not calm, the calories burned will be more. You’ll not only be using energy to paddle but also to keep your balance on the paddle board.
Expect to burn 715 to 1130 calories per hour of paddle board racing.
2. Calories Burned SUP Surfing
This is a great exercise for the lovers of both SUP and surfing. It combines two amazing activities to make one thrilling sport.
If you want to burn many calories without feeling like you’re working too hard, try surfing on your SUP. Besides, most surfers swear that it is the best cross-training exercise if you need to improve your surfing skills.
The number of calories burned SUP surfing will depend on the size of the waves. Bigger waves require more effort and you will, thus, burn a higher number of calories. Just make sure you don’t get overambitious and try to catch waves you can’t handle.
You will burn about 420 calories to 735 calories
3. Calories Burned SUP Touring
Exploring the world on your paddleboard is a fun experience. You get to see beautiful places and take gorgeous photos to show off to your social media friends. But even better, you burn calories.
With SUP touring, you paddle at a moderate pace–faster than recreational paddling but slower than racing. This is typically done over a long distance. A touring SUP is usually longer and narrower to help with tracking and speed.
Paddle board touring may not look intense but it is a full-body workout. And it burns 610 to 708 calories per hour.
4. Calories Burned Casual Paddling
Some paddlers don’t really care about speed, catching waves, or covering distance. They just want to hop on a SUP and paddle leisurely on calm water.
This is recreational paddling. It is like taking a casual walk, except you will have more fun and burn twice as many calories. That’s right.
The number of calories burned paddle boarding at a relaxed pace ranges from 310 to 440.
5. Calories Burned with SUP Yoga
Stand up paddleboarding is not just about covering distance. With a yoga SUP, you can take your yoga game to the next level.
SUP yoga is a good workout for both your mind and body. As you transition from one pose to another, trying to maintain balance, you will burn 410 to 540 calories per hour.
And don’t forget you have to paddle to and from your yoga spot–those are more calories burned.
Stand Up Paddle Boarding Compared to Other Sports
If you are looking for an activity that efficiently burns calories, you may want to know how SUP compares to other popular sports. Each calorie matters for anyone trying to get fit.
We are going to use the example of a 150-pound person doing the activity for one hour.
- Stand up paddle boarding: 430 calories
- Cycling (5.5 mph): 272 calories
- Jogging: 476 calories
- Swimming: 476 calories
- Walking (2 mph): 136 calories
- Casual dancing: 204 calories
As you can see, stand up paddle boarding is second only to swimming and jogging. Besides, you can always paddle faster to burn more calories.
Why Paddle Boarding Is a Fantastic Workout
Padding is an amazing workout for everyone. Here is why.
a. Paddleboarding Helps with Weight Loss
If you are trying to shed a few pounds, you must be wondering whether you can lose weight paddle boarding.
Calories play a huge part in any weight loss journey. Paddle boarding burns calories efficiently. So, yes, paddle boarding can help you lose weight.
You can create a caloric deficit with SUP by burning more calories than you consume. And that is not hard to do considering how enjoyable paddling is.
Note: you’ll have to make other lifestyle changes like creating healthy weekly menu plans and ditching junk food.
b. SUP Is a Simple, Low-Impact Exercise
Anyone can paddle board regardless of their age or fitness level. Unlike weight-bearing exercises, like running, it is gentle. The chances of getting hurt are low.
c. Paddle Boarding Is a Good Core Workout
Most core-engaging activities, like planks, can be brutal, but not SUP. Your core muscles are put to work when you’re maintaining balance on the board. Rougher water conditions require more effort. The result is that you improve your core strength and perhaps even get the six-pack you have always wanted or a flat tummy.
d. Stand Up Paddle Boarding Is a Fun Full-Body Workout
Paddle boarding engages all muscles in a gentle way. And being out in nature will keep you calm and distracted. You won’t even realize how hard you’ll be working.
How to Get a Better SUP Workout and Burn More Calories
Some people burn more calories paddling than others. If you want to get more out of it, here are a few things you can try.
1. Learn the Proper Paddling Technique
Adopting a proper paddling technique helps you use more muscles. This, in turn, causes you to burn more calories and reap all the benefits of paddle boarding.
Learning how to make a paddle stroke the right way enables you to engage the back, leg, and core muscles.
Check out this short video about proper paddle strokes.
2. Workout More on Land
Don’t wait until you are on a paddle board to work out. Find a few exercises that you can incorporate into your daily life. They will help you become a better paddler.
After each SUP session, make sure you also stretch on land, especially if it was a high-intensity session.
3. Build Momentum
When paddle boarding, build momentum to help you use your strength efficiently. You don’t want to spend all your energy on trying to keep the SUP board moving.
Factors That Influence the Number of Calories Burned Paddle Boarding
What affects the number of calories burned paddle boarding?
- Bodyweight
- Age
- Metabolism
- Paddling intensity
- Experience (pros burn more calories)
- Paddling technique
- Body fat percentage
- Weather and water conditions
Final Thoughts: How Many Calories Do You Burn Paddle Boarding?
An average 150-pound person will burn 430 calories per hour of paddle boarding. A 300-pound paddler will burn 859 calories in an hour. More intense SUP activities like racing will burn more calories.
From these numbers, you can tell that stand up paddling is one of the best physical exercises. Not only is it exciting, but it is quite efficient in helping you achieve your fitness goals. And anyone can do it!