Kayaking is indeed great food for your soul. Several researchers have claimed that kayaking is a great activity for your physical and mental health. It is a great sport for people of all ages. You can take up kayaking seriously and go to tournaments, or pursue it as a hobby and go for recreational kayaking. Either way, it is great for your overall health.
There are different types of kayaks, like fishing, recreational, touring, whitewater, and sit on top kayaks. You should choose the right design depending on your purpose behind kayaking. You can also get solo kayaks or one that has seats for two people. They are specially designed for a given type of water activity, and there are also different variants for different types of rapids.
Physical Health Benefits
Kayaking is indeed a fun and enjoyable activity, but it comes with various physical benefits too, like:
BMI Management
It helps with weight management. For example, if you spend an afternoon kayaking, apart from the scenic beauty and rewarding tour, you will be able to benefit from it healthwise by losing around 1500 calories.
Upper-Body Workout
Paddling is undoubtedly one of the best upper-body workouts. Kayaking can help to improve your upper body strength and tone your muscles. While propelling through water, you would use your arm muscles and the ones from the surrounding areas like the shoulder, chest, and back. The more you paddle, the more your muscles will strengthen and tone up.
Lower-Body Workout
You also use your leg muscles for kayaking when you try to balance, sit on top kayaks or change directions. Over time, as you paddle, your leg muscles will get more toned.
Middle-Body Workout
When your arms and legs are getting toned, naturally, as the middle part of your body, your core will also get strengthened and toned. Your core plays a crucial role in helping you to stay centred and maintain balance on the water. The paddling motion works on your lower back, abs, etc., which means by kayaking, you are doing a mini core workout.
Good For Heart
Kayaking is a form of cardiac exercise as it helps to maintain your blood flow. It helps to strengthen your heart and improve its ability to pump and circulate blood. A strong heart is also capable of producing more blood cells. Thus, the more you start kayaking, the stronger your heart will become.
Keeps You Active
Kayaking can improve your endurance. It becomes easier the longer you do it, and eventually, you will not get tired quickly. Kayaking a few times a week can boost your energy levels, which means you will have more energy to perform your daily activities.
Apart from these, kayaking also has some mental health benefits, like it helps to boost mood, improve focus, enhance memory and give you a good night’s sleep. Thus, if you love kayaking, now is the right time.
