Workin’ it out – SUPtheworkout indoor paddle fitness training

Words: Melina Cherry

Pics: SUPtheworkout

Melina Cherry, owner of SUPtheworkout, waxes lyrical about the benefits of indoor SUP training to compliment your everyday on water paddling and how this can impact your overall fitness in a positive way.

What makes SUPtheworkout unique in the world of fitness?

How does SUPtheworkout improve stand up paddling performance?

With SUPtheworkout we are not looking to substitute stand up paddle boarding on the water nor do we claim that the physical conditioning and sport specific results with the land based workout are better than what a participant or athlete can get from actually paddling on the water. Even in the future when more sophisticated SUP machines will be available to us, we won’t be able to duplicate the real thing. There is nothing like “the real thing”, in any sport! We can create machines that simulate movements but we cannot recreate or replicate nature with its elements and that’s where the magic of the outdoors makes stand up paddling, cycling, running, skiing surfing and many more activities a great experience.

 

With that said, SUPtheworkout is here with the purpose to grow the sport of stand up paddle boarding and impact the SUP industry and even more so the fitness industry. We are here to make paddlers and to offer a new choice that will turn more people to fitness.

As we know people nowadays need all the motivation they can get to do anything for their health and fitness. There is so much out there to get us up and get us going and still only a shockingly small percentage of the population takes advantage of these amazing opportunities and is in fact in good health and in shape. When I discovered stand up paddle boarding I thought to myself “this has to be the ninth wonder! The world has to know! It is a leisure activity, it is a hobby, a sport, a fitness activity, a pilates or yoga option, a workout on the water, a whole lifestyle! How do I make everyone try this?” And as a personal trainer, after years and years of having to convince people to workout and take care of their diets, “here is something I can trick them into!” Trick them into stand up paddling. They are going to fall in love, they are going to need no convincing. “Melina, I love this new thing, stand up paddling”, end of the argument!

So, in other words, SUPtheworkout is here to make stand up paddle boarding more user friendly and accessible to people who have never paddled before. It is a great introduction and confidence builder for the mainstream crowds who may have seen SUP on TV, social media or even in printed vacation adds and think, wow, I could never do this. We are here to say YES, YOU CAN and put a big smile on their face! We train our clients on the machine and get them comfortable on the water in no time, doing things that would otherwise be unthinkable to these particular individuals. We have had great results with participants of all ages, shapes and sizes.

SUPtheworkout is also here for those who have tried SUP on their honeymoon perhaps or on vacation somewhere or out of curiosity but nobody showed them how to do it properly. Most of them thought, this is not a sport or a way to fitness, it is slow and boring or it way too easy or I don’t see the point of it or why people like it. We have a lot of people who come to the studio to try “the workout” part of SUPtheworkout. They want to see how this relaxing water activity can actually be a workout. AND WE DO THAT! We love to show people proper form: this is how standing on an oversized surfboard splashing around with a giant spoon can become a training session. We show our clients how to stand up paddle using the whole body, how to engage the core, the legs, how to apply their body weight on the paddle and use leverage, how to brace, how to create rhythm and flow, how to get in that zone, the training zone. Next thing you know they are buying race boards and entering races. We take pride in our very own SUPtheworkout race league and race team.

We believe that SUP as an indoor workout should become another avenue to fitness for the masses. We also believe that stand up paddle boarding is one of the most fun sports in the world EVER and we strive to promote that every day in every way possible. This is the mission and vision of SUPtheworkout.

Find out more at www.suptheworkout.com