Calories Burned Paddle Boarding [What They Don’t Tell You]

How many calories do you burn paddle boarding?

How many calories do you really burn paddle boarding? Paddle boarding is a fun, healthy activity than anyone can learn. And if you push yourself paddle boarding can be a killer workout. The casual recreational paddle boarder can burn 305-430 calories per hour.

But these numbers are very general and a bit deceptive. How many calories burned paddle boarding depends on different factors like age, sex, intensity, experience and technique.

The most important factors in getting a good workout and burning plenty of calories is your paddling experience and technique.

Here is what they don’t tell you…

You can burn a lot of calories if you are an experienced paddler. If you’re a novice who is still trying to keep his balance and doesn’t know correct technique you will not burn as many calories and receive little fitness benefit.

You need to be comfortable on your board so you don’t spend your effort trying to keep your balance. If you want to maximize calories burned and fitness benefits when paddling start working on your technique. Get some experience under your belt. You need practice time in the water.

You want to paddle with a powerful full-body stroke that will engage your legs, back and core. Such a stroke requires proper technique.

All the SUP calorie numbers on the internet assume an experienced paddler who is comfortable on a paddle board

Here are some estimates based on the average of three people weighing between 165 and 200lbs and using different types of paddling:

(You need paddle boarding experience to burn maximum calories)

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Paddle Board Calorie Calculator

Use the Captain Calculator to determine calories burned paddle boarding for your specific body weight. What they don’t tell you is you need paddling experience to reach these numbers.

Check Out Captain Calculator

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Factors that influence how many calories burned paddle boarding:

• Body Weight
• Percent of Body Fat
• Age
• Sex
• Intensity of Paddling
• Conditioning Level
• Metabolism
• Paddling experience
• Efficiency of movement or Technique
• Environmental conditions when paddling

Calories burned paddle boarding compared to other sports (per hour)

Surfing: 412

Running: 650

Cycling: 483

Swimming: 840

Why proper technique will allow you to work out harder and burn more calories

Paddle boarding can be an amazing workout. Paddle boarding will work every muscle in your body from your toes all the way up to your neck. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) conducted two studies to see if paddle boarding really does produce fitness benefits.

The first study was to see if paddle boarding lived up to it’s reputation as one of the best core workouts you can do. They found that moderate paddling worked the lower back and front abdominal muscles enough to improve their strength.

However the muscles on the side of the core, the twisting muscles, needed more intensity to reap strength gains. Twisting is central to correct paddling technique. But when you paddle at a moderate pace you don’t have to twist much.

Are you experienced? Novices don’t get great fitness benefits when paddle boarding.

So to engage all the muscles of the core you need to vigorously turn your shoulders and twist your core with force. Or as the ACE researchers said paddle “with intent”.

Novice paddlers are not comfortable enough to paddle hard or “with intent”.

In the second study the ACE researchers tested paddling’s effect on  Vo2 and heart rate max. In this study they used a group of novice paddlers and a group of experienced paddlers. To implement the test they used both a SUP ergometer in the lab and real paddle boarding in the water.

Proper technique will allow you to use the large muscles of the legs, back and core.

The results indicated that the novice paddlers gained fitness benefits on the paddle board machine but not when real paddle boarding in the water. Lacking experience and skill the novice paddlers struggled with balance in the water. They did not feel comfortable and could not paddle hard.

In the water they could not paddle with enough power and vigor to train their muscles. With more experience and proper technique these paddlers could have a killer workout, burn more calories and gain real fitness benefits.

Paddle boarding can be a full body workout but takes time and practice.

Paddling with correct form will work your body from head to toe. When you plant your paddle blade in the water there is tension from your top hand all the way down to your toes. Every muscle from top to bottom will be worked on the stroke. The back, legs and core in particular. You shoulders and arms get worked hard too.

When you use proper paddling form and paddle “with intent” paddle boarding becomes an amazing calorie burning activity. But it takes time in the water first. Time spent practicing correct technique so you can paddle with full effort and confidence.

Paddle Boarding and the Fun Factor

So we need experience to gain fitness benefits from paddling. Time in the water getting comfortable on the board. Thinking about technique when paddling and trying to nail down that perfect form.

It’s not really that hard to do. Paddling boarding is fun. It’s a great way to exercise. It takes less will power to go paddle boarding than to go to the gym. Gym workouts can get boring.

When paddling boarding you are outside enjoying nature on the water. Hopefully the sun is shining, the air is clear and the fish are jumping.

Time and practice

Paddle boarding is an easy way to get fit and burn calories. The best exercise program is the one you enjoy because that’s the one you will stick with. Paddle boarding will give you a killer workout. But you need time and practice to become proficient at paddling.

Paddle boarding for exercise is a great combination of strength, balance and endurance that works the whole body. And yes, burns a lot of calories.