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Fitness: Paddleboarding

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If you’ve passed Bayou St. John recently and have seen what look like Venetian gondoliers gliding atop the water, then you have witnessed paddleboarding.FitnessAug2013 This addictively fun water sport originated in Hawaii, but has quickly claimed devotees across the US.

Paddleboarding …
Is easier to learn than surfing, and is much less likely to deliver a thrashing
Can be done in the ocean, on a lake or on one of our many bayous and tributaries
Requires minimal gear; just a board and a paddle
Tones your core for flat abs and lean muscle

Your Local Connection
NOLA Paddleboards
4721 Magazine St.
(504) 717-8847

Fitness Fanatic
Whether you’re a first-time paddleboarder in need of a lesson or a seasoned paddler ready to purchase a board, NOLA Paddleboards has you covered. In 2011, Jeff Lakey opened the one-stop paddle shop to bring his favorite sport to his hometown.

But Lakey’s love affair with paddleboarding dates back to 2005. He was living in San Diego and working as a beach lifeguard when his colleagues introduced him to the sport. “We had so much fun playing around in the surf that none of us were even thinking about the amazing workout we were getting in the process,” he said.

Nowadays Jeff leads paddlers through Lake Pontchartrain and its tributaries. Some of his favorite places to paddle in the Gulf Coast include Elmer’s Island, Bay St. Louis and the beaches of Walton County, Florida.

Superfood Spotlight: Blueberries
With one of the highest anti-oxidant values available in a fruit, blueberries are a tasty and low-calorie source of soluble dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins and pigment anti-oxidants. Lucky for us, these plump blue delights are harvested in Louisiana throughout the summer.

Where to Try It
Green to Go makes impossibly fresh salads from organic produce, then distributes them via custom rigged bicycles. One of the most popular salads is the “BLUE,” which combines spinach, blueberries, red onions, blue cheese and bacon croutons with a lemon vinaigrette.

Green to Go
(504) 460-3160
Greentogonola.com

LOOK THE PART
Gear to Get You Going

Beach Break Hipster, $54
Beach Break Triangle Top, $54
Lululemon at Canal Place
504-522-3264

Paddle Tank, [Price TK]
NOLA Paddleboards
(504) 717-8847

Patagonia Wavefarer Boardshorts
Massey’s Outfitters, $59
(800) 754-7467