I’ve never met someone who actually liked sit-ups, and I’d honestly be surprised if I did. While sit-ups are a classic exercise, researchers used the Army Physical Fitness Test, or APFT, to measure core strength and revealed that military personnel were able to boost their core strength with and without sit-ups. In an interesting study, researchers explored whether the fun activity of paddleboarding had a positive impact on core strength, improved core endurance, lowered body fat, and more.
Why are sit-ups falling out of fitness fashion?
Harvard experts recommend planks over sit-ups because the latter can strain your lower back and exert pressure on your curved spine when lying on the ground. Many people have difficulty doing sit-ups for different reasons, and planks and other moves might be more manageable.
Researchers have also suggested that they might increase the risk of injury, and other moves like planks, leg raises, and Russian twists can better target your deeper core muscles. Sit-ups primarily target your rectus abdominis (six-pack) muscles and engage your hip flexors, but they aren’t necessarily the most effective for torching your deeper core, such as your transverse abdominis, which plays a significant role in core stability.
Additionally, lots of people just don’t like doing sit-ups; simply put, they aren’t the most enjoyable or fun exercise out there. With sit-ups being such a drag for so many of us, let’s check out the research on paddleboarding.
The paddleboarding study
In a study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, the researchers compared sedentary adults who spend too much time sitting to recreational and elite stand-up paddleboarders. Paddleboarding is a low-impact activity or sport where you stand on a board and use a paddle to move and glide on the water. There are even competitive stand-up paddleboard races. A paddleboard is usually wider and longer than a surfboard.
The study results
The researchers concluded that when compared to the sedentary adults who weren’t physically active, both the recreational and elite paddleboarders had:
- Lower body fat.
- Stronger core endurance.
- Better balance.
The recreational paddlers had significantly better aerobic fitness and muscle strength compared to the sedentary group, so you don’t have to be a pro to get those benefits and level up your fitness and muscle power. If you do so happen to become an elite paddler, this study showed the elite paddleboarding group had better heart health and cholesterol profiles.
Unlike sit-ups, where you have the floor to support you, with paddleboarding, you have to balance and work your core muscles to stay upright on the board in the moving water.
Time to go paddleboarding?
For most of us, paddleboarding is certainly more fun than doing sit-ups. This study reveals that you can lower body fat and improve core endurance, balance, cholesterol, and heart health. If sit-ups aren’t your favorite but you’d still like to enhance your fitness and boost your core strength and endurance, maybe it’s time to grab a paddleboard instead.
