Kayaking is an exciting outdoor activity that appeals to hobbyists, competitive athletes, and anyone looking for a fun holiday pastime. It offers more than just the thrill of gliding across the water; kayaking also positively impacts your posture, physical health, and mental well-being. Although it’s a low-impact sport, it delivers impressive health benefits. This article will draw in both beginners and seasoned paddlers, revealing the many advantages kayaking brings to your overall health and happiness.
Physical Benefit of Kayaking
Balance on a kayak on the water requires the commitment of your whole body which brings many physical benefits. For example, you’ll need to use your glutes, abs, quads, and other stabilizing muscles to keep yourself from falling into the water.
Let’s see in detail the physical benefits of kayaking…
1. Make your arm strong and healthy
Engaging in hours of kayaking requires significant effort from your arm muscles. Covering a kilometer on your kayak necessitates a minimum of 300 strokes. Executing these strokes involves utilizing your upper body and rotational muscles to propel yourself efficiently through the water. Throughout these sessions, your biceps and triceps emerge as the primary muscles, shouldering the majority of the workload.
2. Best workout for upper body
For experienced kayakers, recognizing the incredible impact of this sport as an upper-body workout is essential. Each precise stroke with your paddle engages all the muscles in your upper body, delivering a fantastic workout. If the typical gym environment doesn’t excite you, kayaking offers a thrilling alternative that guarantees a thorough upper-body workout.
3. Increase your stamina
Navigating technical rivers with strong currents and waves helps you understand your kayak’s behavior better. You’ll also become more aware of the weather, allowing you to paddle efficiently without wearing yourself out. Beyond the fun of kayaking, it’s one of the best ways to boost your stamina.
4. Help you lose weight
If you’ve struggled with excess weight for years and tried various weight loss methods without success, regular kayaking can be the solution you need. It’s one of the best fat-burning activities and can help you shed those extra pounds safely and naturally.
When paddling at 8 km/h speed, an individual can burn approximately 400 calories in just one hour. This highlights the direct correlation between the intensity of kayaking, the effort put into paddling, and the calories expended. The more actively and energetically you paddle, the greater the calorie loss.
Kayaking is an excellent way to maintain a lean body. While it may burn fewer calories than other exercises like running on a treadmill, it’s far more enjoyable than monotonous treadmill workouts.
5. Heart strengthening help
Kayaking is an aerobic sport, also known as cardiac exercise. This type of exercise strengthens your heart muscle and improves its efficiency in pumping blood. Your heart is usually made up of the upper and lower abdominal muscles. Since these two parts play a key role in the balance and control of the kayak; it will greatly strengthen your heart. It also increases blood circulation efficiency and the total amount of red blood cells in your body.
6. Cardiovascular health
A healthy heart means fewer heart problems, such as cardiac arrests. This aerobic kayaking exercise also has great cardiovascular health benefits. Normally, these continuous movements of your body often increase your heart rate, which can improve your heart performance and most importantly contribute to the development of your cardiovascular system.
7. Tones your legs
Although the benefits of kayaking are more evident on your arms, shoulders, and upper back, it also has significant effects on your legs. When you try to turn or maneuver, you unknowingly tighten and loosen the muscles in your legs alternatively countless times. This can be the best leg exercise you will ever get. After all, these constant contractions of the leg muscles over time lead to an increase in leg strength.
8. Make your shoulders strong
Compared to other outdoor activities you can indulge in today, kayaking has become a physical exercise that engages you more. The movements of your paddle that wake up after each stroke and cause them to stretch out towards you cause a bit of shoulder work. The rotating motion of the paddle as you switch sides promotes balanced muscle development and strengthens your obliques.
9. Reduce stress on your joints
Kayak paddling is a very low-impact activity; it can bring significant benefits to your joints. Several types of research have shown that, unlike other physical activities, paddling won’t produce any wear and tear on your joints in any way. Because kayaking will leave your joints healthy and incredibly flexible. Those joint pains you had to deal with will be a thing of the past.
10. Strength your back muscles
Stand-up paddling is a great activity for your back, especially when you maintain good posture. Kayak paddling engages your core, strengthening both your abdominal muscles and your back. This workout will help you refine your figure, allowing you to confidently show off your new swimsuit at the beach.
11. Vitamin D in Your Body
Biologically, our body needs vitamin D to function properly. Unfortunately, most of us don’t have enough because a few types of food bring vitamin D. Kayaking means getting out and facing more sun. Spending time in the sun helps your body absorb the vitamin D it needs to function properly.
Vitamin D is crucial for building strong bones and boosting your immune system. However, if you have sensitive skin, be sure to bring effective sunscreen to protect against skin issues.
Mental Benefit
The first benefit of kayaking most people would think of would be physical. Yes, it’s true but there is no denying that practicing this outdoor activity is good for mental health. It’s not just the mind’s job to get your body to coordinate. It is the deeply positive effect of being outdoors and connecting with nature that benefits your mental health.
Let’s see…
12. Kayaking allows you to relax
Kayak paddling is highly recommended for those who experience anxiety and emotional stress. It can even have a mild antidepressant effect, primarily through exposure to sunlight. If you prefer an active form of relaxation, try practicing yoga on your kayak. Balancing your body and mind to maintain your poses while staying dry is a fantastic exercise in awareness and mindfulness that you won’t want to miss.
13. Help you increase confidence
Many people suffer from mental health problems and even depression, which can affect their self-confidence. When it comes to kayaking, you have to get out of the house, and during those great kayaking times, you meet new people and the amount of fun you can get will make you forget bad things. The best part, once you feel good about yourself or even what you’re doing at the time, it will help you conquer your pursuit of happiness in myriad ways.
14. Improves your memory
If you often experience blackouts or forget important things, kayaking might be the answer. It’s an enjoyable and effective way to boost your memory. While kayaking, you stay active, which triggers the release of chemicals in your body that promote overall health and support brain cell growth.
15. Make your mind happy
Talk to an expert today and they’ll tell you how exercise can improve your mood. So if you’re feeling worthless and can’t move, go kayaking. It’s a great physical activity that can help the body release a good hormone called endorphin, which makes you happier.
16. Emotional benefits
If you and your partner are facing challenges, incorporating a favorite activity like fishing into your kayaking trips can enhance the positivity of your relationship. It’s one of the best ways to strengthen your bond. Plus, kayaking improves your range of motion, making it a great way to stay active together.
- Know of kayak fishing? Check Here.
17. Improve your sleeping quality
If you’ve struggled with sleep issues like insomnia, kayaking might be the solution you need. The physical exercise, combined with the calming nature of the activity, tires your body and lowers stress levels, helping you fall asleep more easily and quickly.
Other Benefits
Beyond the physical and mental benefits, kayak fishing also brings other advantages.
18. Kayaking brings you closer to nature
We all know it, but it’s hard to recognize just how much time we spend in front of screens—whether it’s a smartphone, computer, tablet, or TV. And often, we unknowingly pass this habit on to our children. That’s why it’s so important to get outside and reconnect with the world around us.
Kayaking offers the perfect opportunity to do just that. As you glide through rivers, lakes, or oceans, with water flowing beneath you, you’ll immerse yourself in nature and its wildlife. This experience not only helps you reconnect but also heightens your awareness of environmental issues, ultimately making you a more mindful and empathetic person.
Any paddler will tell you that kayaking is fun and boosts happiness. This joy only deepens when you share the experience with friends and family. Kayaking allows you to transport yourself and your group to unique environments, creating memories that will be cherished and talked about for years to come.
20. It can be practiced in competition
If you thrive on competition, crave speed, or enjoy racing, paddling is perfect for you. While most people paddle for fun, there are plenty of paddle-related sports events for those seeking a challenge. All you need is water! Whether you’re a novice or a pro, a flatwater paddler, a deep-sea adventurer, or a whitewater warrior, there’s something for everyone.
21. The practice of kayaking is varied
Do you like to go fast? No problem, some kayaks can split through the water and give you the smoothest ride even in rough water. Want to cruise a lake but on a tight budget? A flat hull board (all-around shape) is made for you. From the bustle of the rivers to the calm of the lakes, from the waves to surf to the small eddies of the edge, only the sky is the limit. The field of possibilities is very wide. The choice is in your hands.
22. Kayaking is not expensive
Like most other water sports, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to start kayaking. With the growing popularity of kayaking over the past few years, kayaks are more affordable than ever. The inflatable kayak, made from a tough and durable material, offers consumers a convenient and portable option. For 200 dollars you can be outfitted and ready to go. An inflatable paddle kayak can roll up and throw in the trunk of your sedan or walk to an alpine lake for half the cost of a standard bulky canoe and a fraction of the cost of a powerboat.
Conclusion
As evident, kayaking offers significant savings both in terms of cost and health benefits. Whether you’re dealing with stress, sleep issues, social challenges, or simply aiming to build muscle, now is the ideal time to embrace kayaking, and you’re equipped with the knowledge to get started. Much like other physical exercises, kayaking can be enjoyed in rivers, lakes, or oceans, presenting a plethora of advantages. In fact, for those aspiring to lead a healthy lifestyle, engaging in kayaking or occasional kayak fishing is highly recommended.
Keep in mind that kayaking involves paddling a small craft through the water. Don’t forget to wear a kayak PFD! To enjoy the most benefits, you should practice kayaking as often as possible.
Are you ready to prepare for your next vacation?