Paddle Boarding - fun exercise!

Since I was little I've had this rediculous fear of going in the water. Well not a pool but any type of natural water like a lake, bay, pond or even the ocean. No matter how clear the water is, you can't get me to dive in or even sail out, just not my thing. However, being athletic is so you can imagine how torn I felt when I kept seeing images of people all over paddle boarding on a beautiful sunny day.

During the summer my family heads out to our beach house on the weekends (we live in the city so we need a little sun and sand to keep us sane). By nature I'm not the "lounging" type. I always like to be doing something and most of the time I prefer it to be some sort of physical activity. Sure I work out a lot but when I'm out by the beach there is nothing better than getting your workout in while doing something fun and outdoorsy. So this past weekend I told my husband we were going paddle boarding. Yes, he laughed in my face but when I told him I wasn't kidding, he started to get excited! So we left our son with a baby sitter put on our bathing suits, slathered on sunscreen (of course!) and headed out, I was excited but super nervous too (there was no turning back now).

In case you don't know, paddle boarding is basically a hybrid of kayaking and surfing. You basically stand on a surf board and use a long paddle to move about. It is safer and easier than surfing while being much more athletic than kayaking (because you are standing so you are using all of your muscles). You can take a nice easy paddle out onto still water like a lake or take it into the ocean and ride the waves. If you take yoga or pilates have no fear you will easily conquer the board. Core strength is a must to keep you from falling into the water and overall fitness is a massive plus especially when you are paddling against the wind (which we did a lot of!)!

We started out on the bay so I could get my "sea legs" and then headed out to the ocean. Scared and tense at first, I forgot to enjoy myself because all I could think about was if the turtle I saw in the water below would bite me if I fell in (and what else was lurking in the water!)! But as soon as we got to the ocean, I said screw it, I'm doing this for real and I swam out and caught a wave. Ok fine the first two waves caught me and tossed me under (note to self, next time don't wear a bikini) but I got back out there and eventually rocked a few waves myself. After 2 hours out on the water I was beat but I felt powerful, strong, psyched and accomplished. My muscles were tired, my stomach was growling and I was ready to stand on some solid ground.

On our way home we passed by a bunch of local farmstands so we stopped in, grabbed some super ripe peaches and the best blueberries I have ever eaten and ate them in the car. Fueling ourselves with healthy eats after a tough workout was the perfect end to a perfect day...yes, have no fear, the wine came later!

So, if you are out by the water this Labor Day weekend or on vacation any time soon simply google "paddle boarding" and get started now! I can promise you not only will you tone your arms, back, butt, legs and abs but you'll have a blast too! If you are out in the Hamptons check out Main Beach Surf and Sport in Wainscott and ask for Rick, he rocked!

Paddle on dudes!