It’s been a little over two years into the pandemic and some of us question why we still feel tired. Why is it that some days, we just don’t have the energy to pursue our New Year’s resolutions? Why do we feel like we can’t stick to a routine? The questions are endless, but the truth is: none of us are alone in feeling that way.

 

Daily, our bodies are met with uncertainty, trauma, and what The New York Times reports as “worry burnout.” The adaptation to new routines, and old measures comes at a hefty cost to our mental health, as our bodies become accustomed to change. Nonetheless, pandemic fatigue doesn’t have to have the final say, and your stand up paddle board is a great medium to help combat that.

PANDEMIC FATIGUE: WHAT IS IT?

When it comes to pandemic fatigue, it’s important to understand that our bodies all experience change differently. The New York Times also cites that there are physiological effects on our bodies as we confront stress, such as: spikes in cortisol levels, chronic exhaustion and fatigue, and higher levels of anxiety and depression. When our bodies sustain these symptoms for long, it leads to a greater sense of fatigue. Unfortunately, a lot of our bodies, whether impacted directly by COVID or not, have had to carry a lot of these stressors, and it’s led to what is called “pandemic fatigue.”

HOW YOUR SUP CAN HELP

We’re big advocates of having a balance between mind, body, and soul, and that means caring for our health in more ways than one. Some of the ways we as a team here at ISLE have worked to combat pandemic fatigue is through the use of our SUPs. As our bodies carry heavy thoughts, strenuous body aches, and anxiety, we’re thankful our oceans let us leave it all behind on the water.

 

One of the ways you can leave this built up exhaustion on the water, is by letting your body release the stress via exercise, no matter how low or high intensity that may be. One of our favorite ways is by challenging ourselves to paddle a new distance, paddle faster than a record time, or by racing a friend with one of our touring paddle boards. The Voyager is our best-selling touring stand up paddle board, and the Explorer is our highest-performing iSUP, both perfect for traveling long distances.

For a different kind of workout, and even for relaxing the mind, yoga is a great option, and you can do it on your SUP! The Scout is one of our best-recommendations for yoga as it has a full-length traction pad, which is great for trying out new and known poses alike.

 

Healthline reports that pandemic fatigue also comes from wanting to socialize too quickly after periods of isolation, quarantine, or from simply following social distancing measures during COVID spikes. This back and forth between being able to socialize and not being able to is a hard adjustment for our bodies to take in.

We recommend taking a paddle out with a friend, or a group of friends, to ease your body into a comfortable balance, so that rigid changes in socialization don’t lead to exhaustion. Our Megalodon board has a capacity of 650 – 1050 pounds depending on which size you choose, and is the perfect inflatable paddle board to carry you, your friends, family, and even pets, all at the same time!

 

Another way to use your SUP in your daily routine is by integrating exercise. Experts at Healthline note that there are many benefits to exercise such as: weight loss, building muscle and bone strength, increased energy levels, reduced risk of chronic disease, and even increased brain health and memory among other benefits. With your SUP alone, there are many fitness activities you can integrate into your routine to reach your health and wellness goals. You can try SUP yoga, SUP surfing, SUP fishing, a distance paddle, and strength training, starting off with small goals, and then going up from there.

GOODBYE FATIGUE

So, whether you choose to meditate, learn a new yoga pose, try touring on a SUP for the first time, or simply want to hang out with friends and family, a stand up paddle board is a great way to put your overall health first, and put pandemic fatigue behind you. Obviously, COVID taught us a lot in the past few years, and we’d never want to lose the good things we’ve learned, but even then, it’s hard for our bodies to process all that has happened in such short amounts of time. So be gracious to your body, and know that pandemic fatigue, as tired as it has made us feel, is not the end of our adventurous days.