Kayaking is a Great Workout and Here’s Why

Many label kayaking as a leisurely activity rather than an apt, full-body workout, which is indeed a popular misconception. If done the right way, kayaking involves every single muscle in your upper body, making it one of the best workout routines to incorporate for a healthy lifestyle. 

Kayaking is a safe physical activity (especially if you use a very stable kayak) done with a serene, gorgeous waterdrop, offering a great workout experience. Once you get hooked to this fitness activity, you are very likely to keep on participating in the water sport every chance you get. After all, who doesn’t want a fun, upbeat workout routine? 

Is Kayaking a Good Exercise? 

Getting moving is very beneficial if you are looking to incorporate a healthy lifestyle – and it is even better if you can do all this while elevating your heart rate, strengthening your muscles, and challenging your mind. Luckily, kayaking offers all this and more, making it a pretty good exercise.

Still not convinced? Here are the top six reasons why kayaking is a great workout: 

Gives You an All-rounded Cardio Workout 

Anyone who works out on a daily basis knows the importance of a good cardio workout routine. Not only does it help you stay in shape, but keeps the heart healthy and strong. So, what is the trick to a good cardio workout? An elevated heart rate! This can be easily achieved through kayaking as you paddle through running waters. You can intensify the cardio routine by adding a quick HIIT (High-intensity interval training) workout to keep the heart beating fast. 

If anything, unlike other cardio routines, we guarantee that you’re never going to be bored of your kayaking cardio workout. It is one of those exciting cardio workouts that keep you and your heart going for hours on end. 

Assists Your Weight Loss Journey  

If you wish to lose weight in places with stubborn fat, we recommend adding kayaking to your workout routines. It is a fun, quick, and easy way of burning hundreds of calories in less than an hour. As mentioned at WaterSportsWhiz.com, kayaking can burn over 400 calories if you put in the required effort. With 400 calories burnt per hour, which is more than running on an incline at your local gym’s treadmill, expect to walk away from your kayaking workouts feeling stronger and healthier.

Since kayaking can speed up the process of dropping those extra pounds, kayaking is a way to go for a beach-ready summer body.

Guarantees to Strengthen Your Lats  

Since a kayaking workout heavily incorporates the upper body muscle groups, it is safe to say that you can expect to have super strengthened lats in little to no time. 

When you use your arms to row back, your lower back and lats are stretched out and contracted, causing your muscle groups to be activated. As long as you manage to intensify your strokes with better speed, your lats are going to get a good workout. Expect to walk out of your kayaking trips with a stronger lower back each trip. 

Helps You Get the Six Pack

Want defined, rock-solid six-pack abs? Give kayaking a go.

Yes! You read that right. Kayaking can help you reach your dream beach body with firm abs. You can verify this with your fitness trainer by asking which muscle groups are activated during a typical kayaking workout.  

If you are curious, let’s give you an overview. With kayaking, the rotational movements you make can be very demanding to your core muscles, helping define them. Similarly, the demand for keeping a steady balance contributes to the movement of your core muscles, which develops your abs.

Warrants Bigger and Better-Looking Arms

Have you ever seen athletes that compete in kayaking events? If anything, you can’t help but notice their big, bulky arms. If you are looking to copy their workout routines, know that you can manage to have bigger and better-looking arms just by kayaking regularly. 

Don’t mistake the kayaking routine for just floating on still waters as you need to intensify your workouts through heavy strokes and arm rows. The water sport utilizes most of your arm muscles, working out both your biceps and triceps.

A Promised Remedy Against Stress

Stress targets anyone and everyone in the modern lifestyle! Kayaking can help you escape the tight grips of tension and anxiety as you paddle through serene waters, precisely because it is an enjoyable and relaxing activity. 

If floating on water while you enjoy the chilly breeze against your face on your forte, then kayaking is going to be a very soothing experience for you. Hence, helping you destress after a long week of work and stress. 

A Great Option for Seniors

Finding fun and safe ways to get in your daily exercise can become more difficult as you grow older, with some activities becoming practically impossible based on their physical requirements. While it may seem like kayaking is one of those activities, you might be surprised!

10 years ago, kayaking might not have been the best option, but with some exciting and innovative kayaks for seniors becoming available over the past few years, kayaking has become not only a viable, but an extremely beneficial and safe way for seniors to get out, get exercise, and enjoy the benefits of being out on the water.

Exploring Different Kayaking Workout Ideas 

Not sure how to incorporate kayaking in your workout routine? Here are three ways of working out on the waters:  

A Quick HIIT Kayaking Routine  

Kayaking works your upper body when you take paddle strokes, all while firing up your core through torso rotation movement. You can intensify your workout if you kayak through fast-running water; however, if your area only offers flatwater, the best way to get in your workout is by doing sprints. Alternating between paddling at a full pace and resting can help you get in a HIIT workout.

Increase Strength and Build Endurance  

If you are looking to build endurance and increase your overall strength, we recommend working your core muscles to help you generate stroke power. This way, you will not be relying on your upper body strength; instead, you will be pushing your core to build motion during the stroke sequence. 

Get a Full-Body Cardio Workout 

If you are looking for full-body cardio while kayaking, compliment it with your favorite aerobic exercises. You can follow the HIIT routine and pair it with running, biking, and even swimming. 

And that is about it! We have given you all the valid reasons to incorporate this fun activity into your daily workout routine, all while easily de-stressing yourself throughout the experience. So, are you ready to grab ahold of the paddle and start stroking?