5 Reasons Why Kayaking is Good for Your Health

5 Reasons Why Kayaking is Good for Your Health. (Image via Unsplash/Charbel Aoun)
5 Reasons Why Kayaking is Good for Your Health. (Image via Unsplash/Charbel Aoun)

Kayaking should be taken into consideration if you're looking for a way to enjoy yourself while being active. It's a thrilling leisure sport that has a lot to offer.

Ad

Not only do you get to work out your body, heart and mind, but you also get to explore the wonders of nature and find new locations you weren't aware existed.

There are many benefits of kayaking, which should be more than enough to inspire you to make your first kayaking trip. Before getting to the point of why you should pick kayaking, learn about the basics of this amazing water sport:

Ad

What is Kayaking?

Kayaking. (Image via Freepik)
Kayaking. (Image via Freepik)

A double-bladed oar is used to paddle a kayak, a small boat, in the water sport of kayaking.

Ad

Sit-on-top kayaks, recreational kayaks, inflatable kayaks, fishing kayaks, white-water kayaks, tandem kayaks and touring kayaks are just a few of the numerous varieties of kayaks available, each one made specifically for the type of kayaking activity you want to engage in.

While most kayaks can only hold a single person, other models (such as tandem kayaks) can hold two or three people.


What all do you need for Kayaking?

Make sure you have the necessary equipment before embarking on an aquatic expedition. Make sure you have the following things before you go kayaking for the best experience:

Ad
  • Kayak with the necessary number of seats
  • One double-sided paddle per person
  • Life jacket or another type of flotation gear..
  • Bottle of water

Benefits of Kayaking

After learning the fundamentals of kayaking, let's move on to its health benefits. Take a weekend kayaking trip to enjoy the following health advantages:

The benefits of kayaking. (Image via Freepik)
The benefits of kayaking. (Image via Freepik)

1) Burning calories

Ad

Anyone who has been attempting to lose weight should kayak, without a doubt. Anyone can burn 400 calories an hour by kayaking joyfully through the sea. To further illustrate that, three hours of kayaking can result in a 1200-calorie burn.

For that reason, kayaking is one of the best workouts for burning more calories than typical bodweight weight-loss exercises like jogging.

Kayaking is the way to go if you want to attain that summer’s bikini-ready body. Losing weight is undoubtedly an exciting hobby. Getting rid of excess weight might be difficult so it's great that kayaking can make losing weight simpler.

Ad

2) Stress reliever

Most people do not view stress as an alien phenomenon. It's widespread and can affect people of any age, but kayaking can help people who are under a lot of stress.

Kayaking is fun and soothing in many ways. You can start by taking pleasure in the sensation of floating on water. Nothing compares to the experience of taking in the scenery while feeling the brisk air on your face.

Ad

Of course, hearing your paddles make contact with the water is also a calming sensation. The act of exercising itself might train your body to release tension.

3) Improves cardiovascular health

Kayaking is comparable to a cardiovascular workout. Paddling requires energy. Your heart starts to beat more quickly and vigorously, as a result. Additionally, it causes fast breathing, which allows more air to enter the lungs. Your heart, lungs, and muscle blood vessels enlarge because of that.

Ad

The intensity and speed of your paddling, though, will determine that. If you paddle more quickly, you'll derive more benefits. Kayaking has many advantages that are highly helpful in preventing cardiac problems. Regular exercise causes your blood vessels to expand, which can lower your blood pressure. Kayaking can help reduce that.

4) Activates Vitamin D

Fatty fish, cow liver, and cheese, among others, are a few food items that are good sources of vitamin D. We even have the vitamin's inactive version in our bodies. We must expose ourselves to sunlight, though, for that to have an impact.

Ad

Strong bones, a strengthened immune system, improved brain function, healthy heart and support for healthy muscular function are all advantages derived from vitamin D. Fortunately, kayaking allows you to enjoy some sun exposure, which helps your body manufacture vitamin D.

5) Strengthens the upper body

As you mostly use your arms during kayak exercises, they get toned. Most of your upper body muscles, including those on your back, shoulders and chest, are worked out while kayaking. Hours spent paddling help strengthen these muscles.

Ad

Depending on the number of variables, you will need to paddle your kayak for around 500 strokes to cover a mile. You can perform up to 1,000 repetitions if you travel two miles by kayaking. Your upper body strength will improve with that amount of work.

Don't Wait, Take your Kayak

A thrill on the white-water rapids or a peaceful outing on a calm lake are both possible when kayaking. The world of kayaking is just waiting for you to explore.

Kayaking is a fabulous form of exercise and offers a close-up perspective that truly immerses you in nature. Kayaks are adaptable watercrafts that are also light weight and convenient to transport. They are great for rivers, streams, rapids and lakes.

Edited by Bhargav
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications