Stand Up Paddle: A freedom sport for everyone!

So I'll tell you about our favorite sport! It's Stand Up Paddle (SUP), Greek stand-up paddleboarding. Many tribes in ancient times used improvised rafts-canoes to move around or to transport their products. This way of transportation evolved into a sport... The form we know today of SUP we owe to the Hawaiians.

The sport took off about a decade ago when most of the Hollywood stars tried SUP in California or on their vacations in exotic destinations. Many considered it just another fad, but when the benefits of the sport became known, more and more people wanted to try it. Thus, stand-up paddleboarding is today considered the fastest growing water sport in the world!

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But what is this activity that we see more and more on beaches really like and why is it becoming such a big deal? In essence, it is a large surfboard with a non-slip floor, capable of holding anyone upright, paddling with an adjustable paddle, which has a handle on one side and the so-called...spoon on the other.

It is a full-body aerobic exercise, which is also very fun because it is done on the water. With the instructions of an instructor, you will quickly and easily acquire the necessary familiarity, the correct body posture and learn the safety rules to be carefree. After trying it once, you are sure to be hooked!

Over time, you understand that SUP is not just a daily sport-activity but a form of psychotherapy... On the board, you feel one with the sea, you feel free, unique!

SUP has been measured to work approximately 80% of your body's muscles, while depending on the intensity of your paddling, someone can "burn" over 1000 calories in one hour! It is a sport for everyone, regardless of age, which does not require any special physical condition. In fact, with a neoprene suit you can do it even in winter!

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SUP is such a beneficial form of exercise that it is recommended by orthopedic surgeons as a way to strengthen muscles after surgery or injury (mainly for the lower extremities). The lack of burdens and vibrations (something common in other types of exercise) combined with the well-being that the sea generously offers make it ideal for Greece with its countless beaches and 13,676 kilometers of coastline.

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The even better thing about this sport is that you can do many different types and you never get into a routine! These are the following:

Cruising: The simple walk. You can do it with other friends, with your dog or your partner.

Surfing: You surf the wave standing up with the help of a paddle.

Fishing: Fishing! Yes! In America it is particularly widespread…

Yoga: If you're already doing it on the mattress, why not try it above water?

Downwind: When the waves are directed almost parallel to the beach and you can't surf, you "go" with the wind and the wave from one point on the beach to another.