4 Reasons To Take Up Kayaking If You Want A More Balanced Workout
The stressful life we live nowadays is taking a toll on our brains and bodies. One of the ways to detox from the daily rush is to spend time in the nature, where you can become more grounded and experience serenity.
As few people actually find enough inner strength to postpone all the deadlines and go out for a peaceful walk in the middle of the nature, one must find a sport or an activity which can be done in the nature. One of those activities is kayaking, which offers both an adrenaline rush and mindful moments.
Until I tried kayaking for the first time, I believed it was all about fighting mighty rivers and trying to stay alive in the process. But I was so wrong.
Kayaking can be done on flat, calm waters, which enables you to simply BE out there. It helps you get rid of all the worries and all the stress because you embrace the amazing feeling of being alone in the nature.
Here are a few of the number of reasons you should take up kayaking:
1. You can be with your friends.
While kayaking is best enjoyed alone (in my opinion), most people make it a social activity and bring their friends with them. When you are in the middle of the nature, you can be yourself. So, bringing your loved ones with you when you are kayaking is going to build stronger relationships between you.
Apart from enhancing your friendship, you can compete with your friends at kayak fishing or speed races or simply have a fun time together.
2. Kayaking can be rehabilitating.
It's no secret kayaking relieves stress, but a study also suggests it may help people who have suffered intense physical injuries.
During a 2008 study at the Karolinska Institutet, spinal cord injury patients were put on kayaking training for 10 weeks. At the end of the program, the patients managed to acquire a strategy for balance control, which proves kayaking can improve functional performance.
3. You get a complete workout.
Kayaking is not only a great exercise for the mind and soul, but it's also great for the body. It provides a good aerobic exercise as well as toning.
One hour of kayaking burns almost 300 calories, and you can also do some cardio sessions by speed racing in your kayak.
As for toning your body, kayaking allows you to work out your core, which is the most important group of muscles you want to exercise. Your arms are also going to look great after several kayaking adventures, so you will never have to deal with the dreaded belly fat.
4. Kayaking is going to open up your opportunities.
After you learn the basics of this sport, you can go kayaking in many places. This is one of those sports that allow you to enjoy the nature without disturbing it, and it allows you to explore both well-known places and remote canals.
You can explore your own country, as well as a foreign one, as soon as you master this activity. There are many locations around the world that are not accessible by land, so if you know how to paddle, you can rent a kayak on your next trip and see those coastlines.
Kayaking is often overlooked, despite it being one of the best outdoor activities you can enjoy. As you've seen, it has positive effects on your entire being, so it's one of the most complete and complex activities you can embrace.
