SUP Mag UK March 2015 issue 4 | Page 41

SUP is a uniquely challenging sport particularly for newbies because of the balance challenges. about and concentrate on when you first learned them, now happen automatically. to a different experience. Your brain is dealing with a mix of skills, balance and coordination along with strength and cardio which all happens at the same time. Any physical activity generates the feel good endorphin hormones and keeps the brain sharper and more effective, but stand up paddle boarding has a multiplier effect because it calls on your physicality and technique to adapt to an environment which is constantly changing. To adapt to these challenges your brain adjusts and uses more working brain power than other activities like running, where the ground is less likely to move unexpectedly and tip you over at any moment. Increased stimulation of the brain through paddle boarding and plenty of practice, can lead to a much better connected brain. SUP is a uniquely challenging sport particularly for newbies because of the balance challenges. With a high centre of gravity, unstable surface and water movement it forces you to compensate constantly even without the additional movements from paddling. As more practice goes in and you develop your ability to manage this mix, your brain is physically changing shape and structure, just like it did for the London cabbies. You can tell that these changes are happening because the things that you used to deliberately think 41 s t a n d u p p a d d l e m a g u k