Paddleboarding

While on the surface it may look like a serene pursuit, paddleboarding is a ferocious workout for core, glutes and quads, making it perfect cross training for runners. Plus: it’s fun!

Words: Rachel Ifans

You can’t have failed to notice the explosion in popularity of paddleboarding during lockdown. And puppies. In fact, it can sometimes feel like you’re not anyone these days without a paddleboard and a puppyAlthough both of them are attractive purchases, according to reports in the press, puppies are properly pricey at the moment, and besides, paddleboards are far less hassle to look after. We thought we’d find out what the big deal is.

Paddleboarding’s roots go back centuries; not the blow-up type you can buy online but, for instance, the 18th century boards on which native Hawaiians used to paddle from one pacific island to another. Its popularity as a sport increased in the mid 1900s along with the Californian surf culture vibe and its more recent boom in the 2000s has seen it trickle from the sea inland to our network of rivers, lakes and canals.

|| It’s a time to forget everything else in the world; it’s you, your board, the water and the environment ||

It’s also, and this isn’t just me saying it to make it fit nicely in these pages, very popular with women. It’s not clear why but I’d be willing to bet it’s got something to do with the fact it’s sociable and active, gives you an escape from your everyday life, puts you in control of your own board and gives you a sense of wellbeing. We spoke to Anni Ridsdill Smith, director and trainer at the British Stand-up Paddleboard Association (BSUPA). She also runs Frangipani (frangipanisup.com), a BSUPA-approved paddleboarding school based in Essex. She puts the sport’s popularity down to its accessibility: