How Kayaking Can Help Boost Your Fitness

Low impact activities have been researched and proved to improve strength, flexibility and aerobic fitness. Kayaking is a low impact activity which involves paddling a small craft through the water. Apart from having fun, you are also able to meditate and it is very peaceful. This all depends on how you do it but all in all it has great health benefits.

Workouts especially in the gym or on the track have been the most populous activity to many for so long which have led people to overlook other healthy and fun activities like kayaking. It provides you an opportunity to have an amazing workout surrounded by nature and its serenity. Here are the reasons you should try it to boost your fitness.

Core Strength

When kayaking, you can just float on the water using the kayak and enjoy the beauty of nature around you which calms your mind. When you want to move, you need to paddle as much as you can in order to glide over the water. When paddling, you engage your core muscles which are around the mid-region of your body. This activity helps you make them stronger and improves their endurance.

Since paddling means you move your hands and body from side to side, this movement targets muscles that are not exercised during normal workouts. It also allows you to strengthen your wrists.

Relieve stress

The brain controls all body functions in the body and if it doesn’t function well, then the body fails too. Apart from mental ailments, stress is among the leading reasons for brain and body weakness. Having a calm mind is important to reduce stress and increase the work output and health of the body. Kayaking offers a solution to this.

Most water bodies are in a natural environment where the air is cool, fresh and relaxing. This kind of environment is important for your mind to relax. It reduces the stress levels in your body and improves your general body health. Your brain also stays healthy which improves its capacity to function.

Cardiovascular fitness

Any exercise or workout is important in assisting your heart and lungs to efficiently supply blood rich in oxygen to all parts of your body. The moving muscles need oxygen to produce energy for movement. This is commonly known as cardiovascular fitness. Kayaking is one of the best workouts you can engage in for this.

As you paddle your kayak, you use your hands and body muscles which need the energy to move and thus your breathing increases to supply more oxygen to the muscles. This improves your cardiovascular endurance. Balancing the kayak on the water is also important in controlling your breathing to match the oxygen needs in your body.

Avoid injuries

Different workouts have their own way that they engage the body. Many of them can result in injuries or deteriorating of certain body parts with time. For instance, if you are used to running on a treadmill, it has a wear and tear effect on your knees and joints as you age and also depending on the workout frequency.

Kayaking is a low impact activity which has no effect on your knees and joints. It is also a special workout since you can enjoy it while still recovering from an injury from another workout. Be safe from injuries and still workout through kayaking.

Sport or leisure

Many workouts are usually linked to sports and few are the times that a workout can be enjoyed as a leisure activity. Kayaking is one of the amazing workouts that is usually enjoyed by many as a sport or as a leisure activity. As a sport, it is engaging and energizes your body muscles.

As a leisure activity, you can just sit in the kayak as a group of friends or as a family and chat while floating on water. This helps improve social bonds and relaxes the body and your mind. The activity gets better since you can enjoy it on any water body of your choice.

Adventure

Laughter is the medicine of the soul. To keep your body healthy, you need to stay happy and rid yourself of all stress factors in your life. Working out is a good way to keep fit and stay stress-free as you interact with other people and form friendships that keep you happy. Kayaking offers this in a better way of enjoying the adventure.

To ensure that you get the best out of kayaking, choose a water body that is a bit challenging like a river. A fast flowing river offers challenges as it flows fast and the fun in that is that you and friends find ways to kayak and face the challenge together while having fun. This is an amazing adventurous workout.

Muscle gain

When anyone hears about muscles, the first thought is the gym. Well, this is a great way to gain muscles by lifting weights but it has its own downside like gym fee, back pains and if done wrong, it can result in unproportioned muscle mass. Kayaking has all the benefits of having fun and gaining muscle mass.

As you paddle, your hands will in time increase in size as you use them frequently. It also includes body movement from side to side which improves the back and side muscles. Your legs also gain as you exert pressure on them to maintain the balance of the kayak. What better way to gain muscle mass than to have fun kayaking.

Final Words

If you have considered getting into shape, kayaking is one of the ways that you can keep fit and have fun at the same time. However, you should watch out for your limits to make sure that you do not exceed your physical limits.

Water activities have always been an amazing way to exercise and keep your body fit. Kayaking, in particular, has several benefits that address various parts of the body. Your breathing, muscles, mind and general well-being improve greatly from kayaking. Your general sense of well-being is also improved.

I think it is an awesome workout where you get to interact with nature and have fun in a serene surrounding. You also get to enjoy vitamin D as the morning sun warms your body while kayaking