Standup Paddle Boarding for Balance, Core, Endurance and Strength!

 

Stand-up Paddle Boarding (SUP) is a fun activity that almost anyone can learn, and it is one of the best workouts available!   Stand-up Paddle Boarding is low impact and provides a combination of balance, core, strength, and endurance. Since you are standing you have to use everything from your feet (wow do you use your feet!) all the way up through your entire shoulder girdle.  Because you are standing your arms never have to go above shoulder height which means that there is much less stress on the rotator cuff muscles than kayaking.  You use your shoulders heavily but your shoulders are stressed in the position where they are naturally most stable and strong so much better than kayaking for those with shoulder and neck issues!

Just standing on a Paddle Board forces you to stabilize your entire body and core, and it is one of the best activities available to develop balance.   Best of all if you do fall you land in the water and getting back on the board is very easy!  

SUP Technique Breakdown

Learning to SUP is easy but mastering the stroke and maximizing your speed takes a lot of practice.  The first thing to focus on is NOT pulling the water!     Instead you want to plant the blade in the water and pull yourself and the board up to the paddle blade.   Imagine that you are stabbing the paddle firmly into soft sand then pulling yourself and the board up to the paddle.   If you can clearly visualize the difference here it will go a long way to getting your stroke where it needs to be for optimum speed.   Think about grabbing the water NOT pulling the water by you!

Reach

Once you get a little feel for it start looking at how far you are reaching forward to put your paddle in the water.   You want to reach as far as possible each time you stroke, BUT there is a limit based on your particular anatomy, shoulder strength and balance.    If you reach too far you can overstress your low back, shoulder or just be off balance which is counter-productive.

Catch

This is where the blade of the paddle enters the water.    Make sure the entire blade enters the water before you begin to pull.   The catch should be as smooth and clean as possible with no splashing.

Pull

Now you are ready to apply power to the paddle.   Use your entire body for this part of the stroke.   It is NOT about using your arms.   Rather your arms merely connect you to the paddle through your hands and you use the rotation of your torso, hips, and shoulders to drive your paddle!  Try to relax your arms as much as possible to perfect this technique. Do not pull too far back as this will actually slow you down.   Once the paddle passes your hips if you keep pull you are actually pulling the paddle up meaning you are pulling the paddle board down and this only slows you down.

Release

After the pull you need to release the paddle from the water.    Like the catch you want this movement to be quick, smooth, and with zero splashing.   Feathering the blade of the paddle creates a smooth release and set-up for the next catch.   You feather by dropping your top shoulder, “breaking your wrist inward”, or a combination of both.  

Recovery

Once you release the paddle you are ready to set-up for the next catch and pull.   Try to relax during this phase – the key to optimum paddle technique is learning to set a rhythm between tension and relaxation and ultimately getting your breathing into a rhythm with the stroke.  The first time you feel this come together it is amazing – really zen!  So stay relaxed and let go of the tension you produced in the catch and pull and smoothly swing the paddle forward to prepare to drive the blade fully into the water for the next pull!

 How many calories can you burn Paddle Boarding?

Obviously your actual calorie burn will depend on the intensity of effort you are putting into paddling along with your height, weight, and the wind and water conditions you are paddling in.     However here are some estimates based on people weighing between 165 and 200lbs :

            Casual Paddle Boarding – 300 – 430 calories per hour

Yoga on Paddle Board – 416 – 540 calories per hour

Touring on a Paddle Board – 615 – 708 calories per hour

Surfing on a Paddle Board – 623 – 735 calories per hour

Racing a Paddle Board – 715 – 1,125 calories per hour

So if you have not taken the plunge yet – google “Stand-up Paddle Board Rental” and find a rental location and give it a whirl.   Rentals including paddle, board, and lifejacket are generally $25 - $35 per hour so get out there and give it a go!    

Should You Wear a Weighted Vest?

 

Two of the newest workout trends are wearing a weighted vest and also “rucking” which is walking with a weighted pack.  Both of these options have actually been around for quite some time, and there is solid research showing the benefits of adding weight to your body for exercise and daily activities.

What Weight should you use?

Start with 5-10% of your body weight to allow your muscles, bones and joints to adapt without causing injury.  Example: If you weigh 150lbs start with a vest between 7.5 and 15lbs.  Gradually increase the vest weight as your strength improves but avoid exceeding 15-20% of your body weight to prevent strain and injury.

Incorporate into Daily Activities

Just wearing a weighted vest while walking increases resistance, engages more muscles and burns more calories.  Studies show that walking with a weighted vest can increase calorie burn by 10-15% compared to regular walking.

Wearing a vest while climbing stairs or hills increases intensity – leading to greater strength gains and increased calorie burn.

Wearing a vest during household chores, yardwork, and errands adds resistance and boosts energy expenditure without requiring extra time.

Use in Workouts for an Added Challenge

Wearing a vest during bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, pull-ups, and planks increases the overload increasing strength and power.

Using a vest during running is best reserved for more advanced runners.   Start gradually with a lighter weight vest and gradually increase time and weight used to prevent strain and injury.  The best vests for running and jumping and use during sports are form fitting so that the weight of the vest does not move up and down. Hyperwear Weighted Vests are some of the best for these activities: https://hyperwear.com/

Using a vest during jumping and while playing sports can improve strength, power and endurance dramatically over time. The key is using a form fitting, snug vest and not using too much weight so that your form and movement patterns are not altered which can cause injuries and alter movement mechanics in a negative way.

Progress Gradually

Start with low impact activities such as walking and light household chores before progressing to higher intensity activities.

Listen to your body: reduce weight or take breaks if you experience discomfort or pain.

Increase weight slowly: as you adapt, add weight in small increments (2 – 5% of your body weight) to continue to progress.

Key Benefits of Weighted Vests

·        Increased calorie burn

·        Enhanced strength

·        Increased bone density

·        Improved endurance and cardiovascular health

·        Time efficiency

The Many Benefits of Watermelon

 

Watermelon is a summertime favorite across America, but it does not just taste great – it is great for you!  It is a cousin of cucumbers, pumpkins, and squash.  

One of the reasons watermelon is beneficial is that it contains a high quantity of lycopene which is a powerful plant chemical that gives watermelon its red color like tomatoes (another source of lycopene).     Lycopene is a potent antioxidant, and watermelon contains 1.5 times more lycopene than tomato, which is the more commonly known source of lycopene. 

Lycopene is a carotenoid, similar in structure to beta-carotene associated with carrots.   However, lycopene is much more potent than beta-carotene and provides many unique benefits. In one study, men with the highest plasma levels of lycopene were 55 percent less likely to have a stroke than those with the lowest levels. 

Lycopene Fights Cancer

Scientists at the University of Portsmouth showed that lycopene slows the growth of breast and prostate cancer by interfering with signaling pathways that facilitate tumor growth. Lycopene also slows the growth of renal cell cancer and helps prevent the cancer from occurring in the first place. Lycopene has also been shown to work to combat the negative effects of HPV infection (Human Papillomavirus) which is the cause of cervical cancers, uterine cancer, and certain throat cancers. It helps the body combat this virus. 

Lycopene and Eye Health

Lycopene protects eyes from oxidative stress that causes many eye diseases and is one of the strongest eye nutrients you can consume.  It may even have the capacity to delay or even prevent cataracts.  Through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, lycopene can help slow or stop processes that lead to macular degeneration. 

Lycopene Reduces Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is pain from nerve damage often accompanied by tissue damage.   It has many causes including diabetes and injuries.   Pain can be severe and difficult to treat. Lycopene has been shown to safely reduce diabetic neuropathy in a study published in the European Journal of Pain. 

Lycopene and Heart Health

Lycopene can help prevent high blood pressure and coronary heart disease. 

L-Citrulline

In addition to lycopene watermelon contains l-citrulline – particularly if you eat/juice the rind that has the highest amounts.   L-citrulline is an amino acid that is converted into l-arginine in the kidneys.   Through this process it helps boost levels of Nitric Oxide (NO) which is very important for circulation and through this process can help reduce blood pressure and treat erectile dysfunction.   In fact, citrulline supplementation has been shown to improve erectile function in men.   

Are Multi-Vitamins Really a Waste of Money?

Multivitamins that provide essential vitamins and minerals at doses that provide greater than 100% of the RDA are the most commonly used dietary supplements.

Major press outlets have been pushing a highly negative narrative about Multivitamins such as:

 

• “Multivitamins are a waste of money for most people”

• “Multivitamins continue to disappoint”

• “Multivitamins and Supplements—Benign Prevention or Potentially Harmful Distraction?”

A key theme the press pushes is that people who take multiple vitamins use them to attempt to compensate for unhealthy lifestyle practices like smoking, drinking excessive alcohol, taking drugs, etc.   Is this true?

The answer is NO!.  The overwhelming majority people take multivitamins as an addition to a healthy lifestyle. A study looking at the health habits of nutrition supplement users concluded that:

 “Dietary supplements are used by half to two-thirds of American adults, and the evidence suggests that this usage is one component of a larger effort to develop a healthier lifestyle. Dietary supplement users tend on average to be better educated and to have somewhat higher incomes than nonusers, and these factors may contribute to their health-consciousness. Dietary supplement use also tends to be more prevalent among women than among men, and the prevalence of use increases with age in both men and women. Numerous surveys document that users of dietary supplements are significantly more likely than nonusers to have somewhat better dietary patterns, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and avoid tobacco products. While supplement users tend to have better diets than nonusers, the differences are relatively small, their diets have some substantial nutrient shortfalls, and their supplement use has been shown to improve the adequacy of nutrient intakes. Overall, the evidence suggests that users of dietary supplements are seeking wellness and are consciously adopting a variety of lifestyle habits that they consider to contribute to healthy living.”

The press also frequently publishes articles stating that nutrition supplements either do not work or that they are dangerous. Is this true?

In almost every case when you look at these studies you find a number of factors which negate their validity and usefulness including:

Many are sponsored by drug companies who design the study to deliberately prove a supplement does not work.   For example, the Cosmos Trial sponsored by Pfizer used Centrum Multivitamin to examine how this multivitamin affected cancer risk.  The problem is that Centrum is uses inferior forms of many nutrient forms while also using far from optimal doses.   All that can be concluded from this “research” is that Centrum did not affect cancer outcomes.

As to Nutrition supplements being dangerous – that is a VERY misleading statement.   Let’s look at the facts – not the hype!   

To put the danger of nutrition supplements into perspective consider that drug overdoses currently kill over 85,000 Americans each year.   Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Medications like aspirin and ibuprofen alone routinely kill over 7,000 people every year.  Opioids alone account for 50,000 deaths and are the leading cause of death for Americans under 50 years of age!

Now what about deaths from nutritional supplements? 

According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, which has been tracking supplement and drug issues for over three decades, there have been 13 alleged deaths from vitamins in 31 years!  Let that sink in 13 in 31 years is less than 1 death per year compared to over 85,000 deaths from pharmaceuticals every year.  

Ideal Rest Time Between Sets

 

There are several different variables to consider when resistance training including:

The exercises you chose to do

The amount of resistance/weight used

The number of repetitions for each set of exercise

The total number of sets of exercise

The rest time between sets of exercise

There is an inverse relationship between the weight lifted and the number of repetitions completed in a set.   When you choose heavier weights you will be able to complete fewer repetitions before fatiguing the target muscles.      A general rule is that higher levels of resistance with less repetitions focus more on building strength, and lower levels of resistance for more repetitions focus more on increasing muscular endurance.

So how does rest time between sets of exercise affect the workout and the results you will obtain from a workout and how should you determine your rest time between sets?    The answer depends on your goals for the workout.        

If your goal is to maximize strength (meaning the maximum amount of resistance you can complete one repetition with) then you should choose longer rest periods of 3 – 4 minutes to allow for complete recovery of the muscles between sets and use high levels of resistance for 3 – 5 repetitions.   

If your goal is muscular hypertrophy meaning increasing muscle size then reducing rest periods to 1 – 2 minutes with less resistance and a higher number of repetitions – 8 – 15 would help to maximize progress.  

If your goal is maximizing calorie burn during the workout and caloric afterburn after the workout, then using minimal rest periods down to no rest period between sets of resistance training is optimal to drive the metabolic overload during and after the workout.

If all this seems too complicated the great news is that a recent study done with experienced weightlifters showed that there was no difference in results when one group used a timed recovery of 2 minutes and another group used a self-selected recovery period based on each individual’s perception of fatigue.     

In the group that chose their own recovery period the average recovery time chosen was less than 2 minutes.    The researchers concluded that the volume of exercise performed (total number of sets and reps) is probably a more important factor in driving results versus an exact rest time.

For most of us in the gym who are focused on building a lean physique but not concerned with absolute strength or size the following recommendations are a good guideline:

Do 1 – 3 sets of exercise for each major body part such as chest, shoulders, arms, legs, etc.

Choose a level of resistance where you can complete 8 – 12 repetitions of each set of exercise in good form hitting momentary muscular failure by the end of the set.

Use slow controlled movement without momentum to keep tension in the target muscles throughout the set.

Use compound movements for most exercises – meaning movements that involve movement at two or more joints such as a chest press or push-up versus a pec fly movement.

Use the shortest rest period possible that allows you to complete 8 – 12 repetitions – probably between 30 seconds – 2 minutes!

How to Avoid the Nine Biggest Beginner Gym Mistakes

 

Click here to find out how to avoid the 9 Big Beginner Mistakes that prevent people from reaching their goals!: https://youtu.be/-NL1_upNzQU_

The Many Benefits of Safe Sun Exposure

 

As with a lot of health advice the media tends to be very polarized when it comes to sun exposure.  Ultraviolet (UV) exposure can cause sunburn which can lead to the development of skin cancer.   However, sunlight is not just made of UV light.    In addition proper UV exposure is critical for Vitamin D production which is by far the best way to optimize the many benefits of Vitamin D (See these previous blog posts on how to get safe sun exposure and supplement vitamin D in the winter):  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-facts-on-safe-sun-exposure-and.html and http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2019/01/how-to-optimize-vitamin-d-levels-in.html 

But beyond the benefits of Vitamin D production sunlight has many other proven benefits including:

Sunlight kills bad bacteria on the skin and is proven to improve psoriasis, acne, eczema and fungal infections of the skin.

UVA exposure from the sun causes skin to release stores of nitric oxide which is a potent signaling molecule with many benefits including vasodilation of blood vessels that can lower blood pressure and improve erectile function.   Nitric Oxide is also critical for proper immune function.

UVA and UVB exposure cause endorphin release which is relaxing and produces a strong analgesic effect helping to reduce pain.   Endorphins also act as a potent antidepressant. 

Sunlight exposure early in the day is critical for proper sleep/wake cycle – sunlight signals the master timekeeper in the brain, the suprachiasmic nucleus, that it is daytime and this keeps time in all the peripheral “clocks” in the body so they function properly.   All cells express genes that keep cellular time and regular gene expression and activity. For example skin cells exposed to UV light express higher levels of two “clock” genes that control cellular circadian activity.  

Decreased sunlight exposure during daytime negatively affects circadian rhythms and night-time melatonin production so while night-time exposure to light (and blue light in particular) decreases melatonin secretion – daytime exposure (particularly early morning after first waking up) increases it later in the night!

The infrared rays of the sun penetrate the skin deeply producing many benefits including:

Increased Circulation

Helps reduce blood pressure

Helps prevent sunburns – so early morning sun exposure (when there is a high percentage of Infrared and reduced UV) can paradoxically help prevent sunburn later in the day.

Reduces pain and stiffness – this a very real benefit which is why you see animals like cats sit in the sun and stretch!

So enjoy safe sun exposure every day to reap these many benefits.   The key is pre-burn exposure.  Morning sun exposure (prior to 11am is very safe in most locations) and will greatly improve circadian rhythms and sleep while mid-day exposure is key for Vitamin D production.  To learn how to get safe sun exposure read the two previous blog posts mentioned above.

The Three Types of Exercise to Maximize Longevity

 

Most people are aware that exercise can improve quality of life and lifespan.  However, most people do not that there are three types of exercise required to optimize overall health and longevity:

Zone 2 Cardiovascular Exercise

High Intensity Cardiovascular Exercise

Resistance Training

Each of these forms of exercise confers a specific set of benefits and contributes to longevity.   Therefore, the optimal exercise longevity plan would include all three forms on a weekly basis.

Zone 2 Cardiovascular exercise requires exercise at a specific intensity for relatively long durations.  The ideal way to know if you are in zone 2 is to measure blood lactate levels but this is not practical so the next best measurement is heart rate, and you can even assess proper intensity through a simple talk test.

Zone 2 exercise is exercise is done at 60 – 70% of your maximum heart rate.  To learn how estimate max heart rate see this previous blogpost:  https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-many-benefits-of-walking-and-zone-2.html The other way is to use the talk test which involves exercising at a steady intensity where you can talk comfortably in SHORT sentences, BUT you should start to feel a bit breathless with continuous talking!

To reap the physiological and life extension benefits of zone 2 exercise you should shoot for 150 minutes each week of Zone 2 training.  Benefits begin with as little as 10 minutes per day if you are sedentary but to optimize results shoot for 150 minutes or longer.  There is no ceiling to the accrual of benefits from Zone 2 exercise meaning more IS better, but the key is exercising at a steady pace that keeps you in Zone 2.    Over time you will get more and more fit so your pace will have to increase to keep you in Zone 2 but avoid the temptation to go faster where you are breathless – save that for your High Intensity Interval Training.

Assessing progress with Zone 2 is simple if you are using heart rate monitoring. Over time you should be able to hold a faster pace (whether walking, swimming, or biking) while at the same time staying in Zone 2.  This guarantees all the many physiological and life extension benefits of Zone 2 exercise described in the blogpost listed above.

High Intensity Cardiovascular Training aka High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT for short) involves short intervals at a very high intensity – between 85 – 100% of your maximum heart rate.  There are many different HIIT protocols but the one that delivers the biggest bang for the buck is known as the Norwegian VO2 Max Protocol. It involves doing a warm-up followed by 4 minutes at the highest pace you can hold, getting your heart rate to 85 – 95% of your maximum heart rate then going at a slow pace (just moving steadily) for 3 minutes and repeating this 4 times!  This is very challenging and NOT for beginners!

This should be done 1 – 2 times per week.   This type of training is focused on improving your VO2 Max which is your maximum oxygen consumption capacity.  To know that you are making progress with this type of exercise you can have your VO2 max measured on a regular basis.  This involves an exercise test with respired gas analysis using a metabolic gas analyzer and can be done at hospitals or other performance training facilities and costs $120 - $150.

Resistance Training – is the final type of exercise required to extend Lifespan. The anti-aging benefits of resistance training include:

Maintaining muscle and bone mass

Maintaining strength

Maintaining the ability to be independent without requiring assistance for activities of daily living.

Maintaining blood sugar control because muscle pulls blood sugar out of circulation

In some respects, this is the most important type of exercise because without enough strength you cannot do Zone 2 exercise and definitely not HIIT training. 

A key feature of aging is “Sarcopenia” or loss of muscle mass and strength.  There are two keys to preventing this:

Proper Progressive Resistance Training

Optimal Protein Intake

It used to be assumed that this muscle loss was a very steady process, but research has discovered that sarcopenia is usually marked by periods of inactivity with large muscle loss that is never fully recovered.  Even in young healthy people one week of bedrest can result in the loss of 2 – 3 lbs. of lean mass. 

If you think about older family members you can probably recall events where you see “he was never the same after….” These events can be caused by injury, surgery, infections or just periods of being very sedentary. 

All exercise helps to stimulate muscle mass and results in better use of amino acids from proteins in the diet, but the maximum stimulation occurs when we specifically challenge the muscles with resistance from free weight, resistance bands, pin-loaded exercise machines, or body weight resistance exercises like push-ups or bodyweight squats.  Even walking up stairs helps build and maintain muscle mass in the lower body!

Anyone at any age can benefit from appropriate resistance training and increase their muscle mass and strength!  However, this is one area where investment in personal training and working with an exercise professional is really important!  Learning what type of resistance training is best for you based on your current fitness level, lifestyle and any injuries is critical for optimal results.  Just 10 – 15 sessions with a qualified trainer can help you develop a personalized progressive resistance plan!

Optimizing Protein Intake is also key as mentioned above.  To learn how to determine your daily needs and how to obtain it check out these previous blog posts:

https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2021/06/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html - part 1 on protein intake

https://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2021/06/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about.html - part 2 on protein intake