Virtually every sport has a shelf life. As time moves on and people get older, their bodies become ill-equipped to handle the demands of physically taxing sports such as football, basketball, soccer, and tennis.
Paddle boarding is an exception to this rule. The risk of injury is minimal, it can be done at whatever pace you desire, and it’s great for maintaining good balance and strong, healthy knees.
It is also a major concern of parents having toddlers and teens that are starting to gain interest in this popular growing water activity.
So, What Is The Age Limit for Paddle boarding? In some states they require you to be 18 and older to paddle board alone, and if you are a toddler or younger teen to be accompanied by an adult. Proper life vests should be worn and safety precautions should always be taken. If you are a relatively healthy adult of any age then feel free to enjoy this incredible water activity.
The benefits of paddle boarding are a lot more than merely physical. It has a plethora of advantages for all age groups, and truly is fun for the whole family.
We believe that there is no age limit to paddle boarding, and we’ll explain our reasons below. However, the evidence is there to see already – even those well past retirement age can be seen paddle boarding and making use of its health benefits. You can, too!
Can Anyone Learn To Paddle Board?
Yes! If you know how to walk, you’ll know how to paddle board. Of course, the activity hugely relies on your balance and coordination, but those can be picked up with relative ease.
Just like swimming, paddle boarding can be learned from an extremely young age and is a terrific social activity to bring friends along to. It offers a whole host of physical benefits and mental rewards, too.
How Long Does it Take To Learn?
As is the case with any activity, there are people who possess a high level of natural ability and there are those who struggle.
That being said, we believe that it only takes a short time to master the fundamentals of paddle boarding. Those with a more athletic background will probably already have the balance and stability needed – but paddle boarding still remains an activity that everyone can do.
To conclude, you can go from being a novice to an intermediate in around an hour. It may feel unnatural and clumsy at first, but you don’t need much time before this feeling of ineptitude subsides.
I’ve Never Played Any Sports in my Life – Is Paddle Boarding For Me?
Definitely, You don’t need to be an elite athlete to start paddle boarding. It doesn’t require huge feats of strength or superhuman cardio, it simply requires a board, some water, and your own bodyweight.
Paddle boarding is a hugely inclusive sport that is wide open to anyone regardless of health or athletic prowess. It also doesn’t require the kind of financial investment that sailing does.
If you’re someone who has never taken to sports, don’t worry. Paddle boarding is a much more relaxed alternative.
What Are the Benefits of Paddle Boarding?
The three main benefits of paddle boarding are:
- Improved cardiovascular health
- Low impact on joints
- Improved mental health
Can I Paddle Board If I Have Bad Knees?
Of course you can. We believe that paddle boarding is one of the best sports around for people with a history of knee injuries.
This is because there is hardly any impact on your joints. Most sports are very taxing on the knees because they require large amounts of running, jumping, and landing. Over time, this wreaks havoc with your knees and makes it so much harder to enjoy sports as you get older.
Paddle boarding, however, is completely different. There are no harsh landings or dangerous tackles involved – it’s just you and your board. In fact, paddle boarding may be an ideal exercise for someone in recovery from a knee issue, as it’s low-risk exercise with high rewards.
Can I Paddle Board If I’m Overweight?
Absolutely. In fact, paddle boarding is one of the best activities you can get involved with if you’re struggling with your fitness.
This is because paddle boarding (either standing up or sitting down) is a total body exercise. Whilst most of the balance is down to the lower body and core, the rowing aspect involves engagement of the arms and shoulders.
With over 73% of American adults being obese (according to the 2017/18 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey), paddle boarding offers a more laid-back and forgiving alternative to jogging or weightlifting.
Whilst overweight people may find it harder to balance, they are certainly capable of starting paddle boarding and reaping its rewards.
Can Somebody be Too Young to Paddle board?
Although paddle boarding can be enjoyed by all different age groups, common sense still needs to prevail. If you or someone in your family is unable to walk, balance, or swim properly, then paddle boarding is not for them.
Small children should probably lay off paddle boarding, too. Although the risk of falling into the body of water is much lower when paddle boarding sitting down, they still need to have a baseline level of swimming ability.
To sum up, there is no concrete age limit to paddle boarding.
However, extremely young children will probably need swimming lessons first and those who are extremely frail should probably give it a miss, too. Aside from those exceptions, paddle boarding is definitely a hobby for the whole family.
