These are the top ten benefits of going out out the water and enjoying the kayak with your friends and family on the weekends.
- Weight
The first benefit is that you will be able to lose weight. This is because of all of the physical activity that you are going to be doing while you are kayaking. You can burn up to 400 calories every time that you paddle. Therefore, if you kayak all afternoon, then you can burn up to 1,600 calories that day.
Of course, this is not as much as swimming or running, but it the kayaking makes up for it because you will be having fun while you are doing it. Most of the time, you are only going to run for about an hour, but when you are kayaking, you will be doing it all day.
- Stress
The second benefit is that it can help to reduce the amount of stress that you might be under. There is nothing better than going outside that you can reflect on all of the things that are going on in your life. When you are cutting through the water that is powered by all of your muscles, you can watch nature pass you by.
This is great when you have high maintenance children, personal problems, or a stressful job. Even though it does require the movement of your muscles, the activity of kayaking can be very rewarding and relaxing. Just a few hours will help you to drop the levels of the stress that you might have.
- Mind
The third benefit is that you will have the ability to have a clear and happy mind. This is because it can improve your mental health. Kayaking is considered an aerobic exercise like cycling and hiking so it helps you to release a lot of chemicals inside of your brain. All of these chemicals are responsible for a person’s confidence and mood.
This means that you will be able to clear your mind of all of the negative thoughts that you might have in your head. When you are out on the water, all of the material things that you might be thinking about will flow away with the water.
- Social
The fourth benefit is that it is a great way for you to be social. Plus kayaking is very easy to learn how to do and you are not going to need to be fit in order to do it. This means that it is going to be something that everyone will be able to enjoy doing. You will be able to make a lot of new friends when you are kayaking.
If you are wanting to meet new people while you are on vacation, then you can go on a kayaking excursion with a group of people. This is something that will be very good for your mental health.
- Workout
The fifth benefit is that you will get a workout for your upper body. This is because you will move forward on the kayak by using your arms, shoulders, and back. In order to execute the proper stroke, then you will need to be able to use all of the muscles in your upper body. Most of the time, you will do about 500 strokes for every mile that you. Therefore, if you kayak for three miles, you will do about 1500 strokes. This means that your upper body is going to look a lot better over time.
- Heart
The sixth benefit is that it is going to be good for the health of your heart. This is true because as an aerobic sport, it can help to improve your heart while you are exercising your muscles. The heart is the muscle inside of your body that will constantly be working, so it needs you to exercise.
This is one of the only things that can help to strengthen it over time. When you are continuous paddling the kayak, it causes the heart rate to go up, which means your cardiovascular health improves over time.
- Toned Legs
The seventh benefit is that you will be able to tone your legs. The legs are a very important part of kayaking because you apply pressure as you secure yourself inside of the kayak, then it will help you to balance and maneuver the kayak. When you are on the water, you will be tightening and loosening the muscles in your legs when you are navigating the kayak. This means that your muscle strength will improve over time.
- Core Muscles
The eighth benefit is that your core muscles will become stronger over time. Your abdominal muscles are one of the most important muscle groups inside of your body because they are going to be what keeps your body upright. When you are kayaking, then your abdominal muscles will be strengthened over time.
As you sit in the cockpit of the kayak, then you will be turning your chest from one side to the other when you are paddling in order to turn the kayak. Basically, this is like you are doing a mini crunch and since you are repeating this action, then it can increase the strength in your abdominal muscles.
Self-image The ninth benefit is that your self-image is going to improve over time. This is because you have the potential of breaking your personal speed, distance, or time records. But you might also be able to conquer the rapids.
Each time that you are successful at something when you are kayaking even if it is small will help to enhance the way that you feel about yourself. If you kayak every weekend, then it can help to boost your self-satisfaction since it increases your sense of self and social confidence.
- Vitamin D
The last benefit is that you will be getting a good source of Vitamin D when you are out of the water kayaking and soaking up the sun. You are going to be spending a lot of time outdoors and this can be very beneficial to you. The amount of Vitamin D that you will be able to get is going to have a lot of positive effects on your health.
It is hard to get all of the Vitamin D that you need just from the foods that you eat. In fact, the Vitamin D that we need is going to come from the sun. Therefore, when you are outside on the water and kayaking, you are going to feel a lot better about yourself and you will feel healthier.
