If you haven’t heard by now, us employees here at Blue like to #LiveItOutside. I mean, we have the BEST outdoor playground to get some fresh air here in the Blue Mountains and Georgian Bay area so why not take advantage of it?
To spice up the summer season, we decided to add a little competition to the mix. Here enters… the Move it Outside Challenge! The premise? Take on physical activities OUTSIDE. All you need to do is take note of the active minutes you spent outside, and away you go!
While the challenge is primarily self-guided, there are frequent group led activities to help stir up motivation. Anything from Yoga, to Hikes, to today’s topic…Stand Up Paddle Boarding!
For those who have never tried to SUP before (like myself before this day), it is NOT as easy as it seems. Watching the continuous social media post of “Suppers” (Is that what they’re called?), I grew more and more anxious to try it out. I figured, if someone can have a dog on board with them, how hard can it be?
The answer is hard*
*The answer is even more hard if the water is choppy…
My First SUP
We were in good spirits as we all headed down to the private Blue Mountain Beach. I will admit – I was going in fairly confident that I would crush this. Little did I know, I would not.
With unavoidable menacing waves in the way, I decided to stay on my knees until I became a little more comfortable. As I hadn’t planned on falling (boy oh boy was this a misguided thought) I did not come prepared with a bathing suit.
After a while, I started to feel a little more balanced and thought – maybe now is the time to stand. This, and also everyone else had already stood up at this point so I was beginning to feel a little behind.
Fast forward a few minutes and wobbly tries later…I may or may not have ended up in the water after all.
Lucky for us, the water was warm and the sun was shining. It turned out to be a beautiful day to go for a swim and paddle around Georgian Bay. The view of the horizon didn’t hurt, either.
Missed out on this One?
Lucky for YOU, we still have upcoming activities planned for the Move it Outside Challenge! Whether you decide to join for the competitive edge, or just want something to do during the workweek, all levels and abilities are welcome to join the challenges.
Questions? See HR!
