I don't like to say whether Stand Up Paddling is really healthy. Exercise is considered healthy and therefore SUP would also be healthy. Stand up paddling is an endurance sport and can therefore have a positive effect on physical fitness. You train almost your whole body when you perform the movements. On the one hand, you have to keep your legs and hips in balance. On the other hand, you need arms, shoulders and back muscles to paddle. After your first tour you will feel muscles that you didn't even know you had before.

SUP is very easy to learn. I taught myself through "learning-by-doing", YouTube videos and advice. But you can also take part in a simple introduction or in a short course. As a beginner you can kneel or sit on the board, almost everyone can do that. As soon as you are familiar with your SUP board, you can try to get up. After a few tries, you will certainly be able to stand on the shelf without any problems - it's all a matter of getting used to. If you can stand on the Sapp, in my estimation it is a matter of minutes to hours.

You can get a beginner SUP for as little as 199 euros - you can find mediocre quality for beginner boards from around 299 euros. If you really enjoy stand up paddling, you should perhaps buy an advanced board right away - otherwise you end up buying twice. The models usually cost between 600 and 800 euros. A professional SUP, on the other hand, costs from 1200 euros and up.

You want the Stand Up Paddling Board according to your personal preferences. Depending on what you plan to do with the board, you can choose a model. A distinction must be made between the inflatable iSUPs and the solid boards, which cannot be compressed. The iSUP is more practical and is chosen by most of the users. If you don't want to transport your board much, you can also take a firm SUP. Otherwise a distinction is made between the following boards:
- wide beginner board: (ideal for beginners, yoga, lying in the sun)
- wide cruiser board: little distance, just drive around a bit
- Streamlined touring board: for athletes and advanced riders who cover longer distances
- Streamlined racing board: for professionals who really want to use their SUP as a piece of sports equipment - advanced riders can also simply use it as a narrow touring board

SUP is very easy to learn. I taught myself through "learning-by-doing", YouTube videos and advice. But you can also take part in a simple introduction or in a short course. As a beginner you can kneel or sit on the board, almost everyone can do that. As soon as you are familiar with your SUP board, you can try to get up. After a few tries, you will certainly be able to stand on the shelf without any problems - it's all a matter of getting used to. If you can stand on the SUP, in my estimation it is a matter of minutes to hours.

Yes, basically anyone can do stand up paddling. You can go to the store, buy a board, drive to the lake, inflate it and go on the water. You can basically do that. But stand up paddling is also associated with dangers: On the one hand, you should have your fitness checked by your doctor beforehand. And on the other hand, you should inform yourself in detail about the dangers that can lurk in waters. Always use a leash and a life buoy or life jacket. Running waters in particular are not suitable for beginners. In addition, the SUP is not allowed on many bodies of water.

Basically everyone can do stand up paddling. You can go to the store, buy a board, drive to the lake, inflate it and go on the water. You can basically do that. But stand up paddling is also associated with dangers: On the one hand, you should have your fitness checked by your doctor beforehand. And on the other hand, you should inform yourself in detail about the dangers that can lurk in waters. Always use a leash and a life buoy or life jacket. Running waters in particular are not suitable for beginners. In addition, the SUP is not allowed on many bodies of water.

SUP is basically just as exhausting as you make it to yourself. Stand up paddling can be really exhausting if you start paddling really fast and make a good stretch. The workout is then a real full body workout and especially as a newbie you will feel every muscle in your body afterwards. If you stand on the SUP, paddle 50 meters and then sit in the sun with a can of beer on the board (which you can do quite relaxed), Stand Up Paddling is of course much less strenuous. If you put in a little effort, you can burn around 700 calories an hour. Wind and waves can also make SUP much more strenuous.

The right clothing for the SUP depends on the temperature and weather conditions. What you should definitely not do: With jeans, trousers, sweater and thick jacket on the board. Should you fall into the water, these items of clothing soak up extremely full of water and make life unnecessarily difficult. Swimming trunks are sufficient in midsummer. Depending on the air and water temperature, a thin wetsuit and socks should be chosen in spring, autumn and winter. But the most important items of clothing for stand up paddling are different: Always use a leash and a life buoy or life jacket - this is the most important clothing for SUP.

Stand up paddling is an endurance sport and can therefore have a positive effect on physical fitness. When performing the movements, you train almost your entire body. Because, on the one hand, you have to keep your legs and hips in balance. On the other hand, you need arms, shoulders and back muscles to paddle. After your first tour you will feel muscles that you didn't even know you had before.

I measured the calorie consumption during stand up paddling with my smartwatch. Depending on the intensity of the workout, I get around 600 to 800 calories per hour.

It is difficult to say whether stand up paddling is good for your back. In any case, it works the back, shoulders and arms. Especially after your first workout on the board you will feel a lot of sore muscles. I got used to stretching my back extensively after Stand Up Paddling. Personally, I have the feeling that the combination of back training with SUP and extensive stretching afterwards is good for my back. If you want to know exactly whether SUP is good for your back, you should contact a sports doctor.

As is so often the case, every beginning is difficult. Stand up paddling seems difficult at the very beginning. At the beginning you can of course keep your balance on the board - unless you are already a surfer, skateboarder or other board athlete. But the good news is: you learn stand up paddling very quickly. Most beginners should be safely on the board within a few hours.

As a beginner, you should always take a beginner course to learn how to use a SUP. But you are not obliged to do so. Basically, you use a SUP as follows: you can go to the store, buy a board, go to the lake, inflate it and go on the water. You can basically do that. You stand on the board on the lake and start paddling. But stand up paddling is also associated with dangers: On the one hand, you should have your fitness checked by your doctor beforehand. And on the other hand, you should inform yourself in detail about the dangers that can lurk in waters. Always use a leash and a life buoy or life jacket. Running waters in particular are not suitable for beginners. In addition, the SUP is not allowed on many bodies of water.

SUP is so popular because the sport is easy to learn and practically suitable for all ages. You can also do Stand Up Paddling on any body of water - unless it is prohibited. In addition, the entry barriers are very low: you don't necessarily need a certificate. You can go to the store, buy a board, drive to the lake, inflate it and go on the water. A beginner's course is strongly recommended to learn the basics of Stand Up Paddling.

You should only stand up paddling on flowing waters - i.e. rivers - if you are already an advanced or professional. Because the current can be very dangerous for beginners. If you are more advanced, you will likely prefer a touring or racing board. Especially if you plan to cover longer stretches against the current, you will want to choose a racing board.

Yes, why a SUP board? SUP is so popular because the sport is easy to learn and practically suitable for all ages. You can also do Stand Up Paddling on any body of water - unless it is prohibited. In addition, the entry barriers are very low: you don't necessarily need a certificate. You can go to the store, buy a board, drive to the lake, inflate it and go on the water. A beginner's course is strongly recommended to learn the basics of Stand Up Paddling. If you have your own inflatable SUP board, you can take it with you in the car in the trunk and always have it on hand when a lake is nearby.

It is believed that stand up paddling originated in Polynesia and spread from there to Hawaii - the cradle of surfing.

Basically, the Polynesians are said to have invented stand-up paddling. The fishermen paddled standing up to the reefs to fish there. They had better all-round visibility and much more stability than their seated counterparts. One-man kayaks are still common in Asia today, in which people stand while moving in order to have a better overview and to move more effectively. The modern stand up paddling is said to go back to the surfer Laird Hamilton from Hawaii. Basically, however, several people claim that they invented stand-up paddling. In any case, it seems certain that surf instructors in Hawaii initially stood upright on the board to survey their students.

Basically, the Polynesians are said to have invented stand-up paddling. The fishermen paddled standing up to the reefs to fish there. They had better all-round visibility and much more stability than their seated counterparts. One-man kayaks are still common in Asia today, in which people stand while moving in order to have a better overview and to move more effectively. The modern stand up paddling is said to go back to the surfer Laird Hamilton from Hawaii. Basically, however, several people claim that they invented stand-up paddling. In any case, it seems certain that surf instructors in Hawaii initially stood upright on the board to survey their students.

People in the Pacific started surfing as early as 1000 AD. The Polynesians started doing it back then and also brought surfing to Hawaii. When exactly someone came up with the idea of ​​taking a paddle with them on their surfboard, it will be difficult to determine. Modern stand up paddling, on the other hand, began in Hawaii in the 1950s and 1960s.

Stand up paddling is an endurance sport and can therefore have a positive effect on physical fitness. When performing the movements, you train almost your entire body. Because, on the one hand, you have to keep your legs and hips in balance. On the other hand, you need arms, shoulders and back muscles to paddle. After your first tour you will feel muscles that you didn't even know you had before.

Basically, you can practice Stand Up Paddling in Germany on any public body of water - lake, river, sea - where it is not explicitly forbidden, such as in the fairways of ships or in the area of ​​industrial plants. Nature reserves must also be avoided - but that should be a matter of course for responsible stand-up paddlers anyway. Otherwise you have a relatively free hand in Germany where you can go stand up paddling. For private waters, of course, you should get permission from the lessee or owner.

Basically, you can practice Stand Up Paddling in Germany on any public body of water - lake, river, sea - where it is not explicitly forbidden, such as in the fairways of ships or in the area of ​​industrial plants. Nature reserves must also be avoided - but that should be a matter of course for responsible stand-up paddlers anyway. Otherwise you have a relatively free hand in Germany where you can go stand up paddling. For private waters, of course, you should get permission from the lessee or owner.

You control a SUP by shifting your weight and paddling carefully. For example, if you want to go right, you dip the paddle on the left and paddle right. If you stand on the board yourself, you will very quickly get a feeling for how you can change the direction during stand up paddling. For example, if you are advanced you can paddle backwards and change your weight so that you can make a quick turn. You can also learn to control a SUP board in a beginner's course.

With SUP, you should rather use a thin wet suit. Even at relatively low temperatures, the suit should not be thicker than three to four millimeters - otherwise you will sweat a lot on your tour. If it is a little warmer with two-digit air and water temperatures, it can even be a little thinner: Two to three millimeters should then also be enough for frostbite. Even in a thin suit, you work up a sweat when you workout on the board. Any loss of fluid should always be compensated for with water.

My favorite clothes on warm summer days are swim shorts. That is then completely sufficient. UV clothing and lotion are of course important for people who are sensitive to light. In spring I also wear a breathable sports shirt and thin neoprene shoes or slippers when the water temperature is low. In winter and spring you should use a thin wetsuit with two to three or three to four millimeters if the temperature is low.

The most fun SUP is still barefoot. But when the water is still cold, it makes sense to put on shoes. Then I recommend using neoprene shoes or slippers. They are available for just a few euros. They keep your feet nice and warm in the cold water and make the SUP tour not only safer, but also more comfortable.

I use the “Restube” lifebuoy for the SUP. I carry this packed on a belt on the hip and only have to pull a drawstring on the pocket once to inflate it. There are now a number of high-quality swimming buoys that you can take with you when you SUP. A commercially available life jacket can of course be worn while paddling.

With SUP, you should rather use a thin wet suit. Even at relatively low temperatures, the suit should not be thicker than three to four millimeters - otherwise you will sweat a lot on your tour. If it is a little warmer with two-digit air and water temperatures, it can even be a little thinner: Two to three millimeters should then also be enough for frostbite. Even in a thin suit, you work up a sweat when you workout on the board. Any loss of fluid should always be compensated for with water.

Most wetsuits are very warm when SUP. Even at relatively low temperatures, the suit should not be thicker than three to four millimeters - otherwise you will sweat a lot on your tour, which will lead to severe fluid loss. If it is a little warmer with two-digit air and water temperatures, it can even be a little thinner: Two to three millimeters should then also be enough for frostbite. Any loss of fluid through sweating should always be balanced out with water.