“A healthy spirit in a healthy body” said the ancient Romans, and we all know that they understood not only about building roads and tourist sites. Today, more than ever, we pay attention to the health of our soul and body. And because it’s hard to achieve both in the doctor’s office, the most common advice we’ll hear is to exercise regularly. Sounds easy and affordable, but which sport should we choose among the hundreds of options? By no means are we going to give you the savvy on how, where and what to row. But we will point out how incredibly beneficial kayaking is for our mental and physical health, and how enjoyable it is to get away from our everyday problems with a kayak.
Emotional benefits of kayaking
Let’s start with the benefits for the soul as they are achieved almost immediately, don’t require years of training and are almost 100% guaranteed. We don’t know anyone who hasn’t enjoyed kayaking, but we can guess that going out hunting at 5am in the frozen waters of the Arctic Ocean in the dark (as if there’s a difference in the different times of day in Greenland in winter!) isn’t the most pleasant experience. But we also believe that once the frostbitten, hungry and bored with the burdens of survival Eskimo climbs into his kayak, that feeling overcomes him. The same feeling of lightness, calmness, and mastery over the water element, floating above the water like a feather, as we do every first time we paddle a kayak after a long winter. (By the way, mentioning the virtuosos in kayaking – the Eskimos, here you can also recall the history of kayaking.)
But essentially…
Rowing reduces stress
We are all tired of hearing how harmful stress is for our health. Instead of going into unnecessary explanations about the possible negative effects on the body, we directly offer a solution to reduce it. Paddling a kayak, like any steady physical exercise, directs our thoughts in a completely different direction and we stop thinking about what stresses us out, and will-not-will, focus on how to get to our end goal on paddles and muscles alone. Besides, getting out in nature, especially in water, as long as you’re not afraid of it, inevitably leads to stress reduction.
Kayaking makes us happy
Whether we like it or not, physical exercise and stress relief leads to the release of chemicals or happiness hormones such as endorphin, dopamine, serotonin and others -each of which makes us feel happy and smiley. And the more we row, the more hormones are released. More hormones, more happiness! Attention! Scientists warn that one can get addicted to happiness and if the brain associates it with kayaking, you can find yourself addicted to kayaking in no time. In our opinion, the risk and the kayaking are totally worth it.
Kayaking improves sleep
Insomnia – another scourge for modern people. Even if you fall asleep as soon as you lay your pestilent head on the pillow and suffer every morning that the alarm is already in your smartphone and you can not send it to the wall, there is always room to improve the quality of sleep. Reducing stress and increasing physical activity, or in other words releasing excess energy stores in a healthy way does wonders in bed (not in that sense, but there are benefits there too 😉 ). One doesn’t associate kayaking with sleeping, but our sleep definitely benefits from our encounter with the kayak.
Kayaking creates friendships
Perhaps one of the biggest benefits of kayaking is that it helps to socialize. For one thing, kayaking doesn’t require much preparation to get started, so it’s easy to find company for a serving of healthy kayaking fun on the water while your guide keeps an eye out for your safety. On the other hand, even going with an unfamiliar group of people is a great way to meet new fortune seekers as well as create new social environments and friendships.
Finding our way to ourselves
While socializing is indeed an amazing opportunity that kayaking gives us, finding ourselves alone in a kayak in the water also brings its own amazing health benefits. You may not necessarily be alone if you’re still new to the water sport, but even in a group, you can safely indulge your thoughts undisturbed by your daily chores. What better place to find our way back to ourselves and the deepest recesses of our souls, and remember what is most important to us than in the middle of a fabulously beautiful lake or turquoise expanse of sea, a kayak and us in it.
If you’re wondering where you can see these amazing beauties in which to cure your nervous city soul, here’s some suggestions for short and longer kayaking adventureswith which stress, poor sleep and bad mood just don’t stand a chance!
Kayaking = wonders for the body
We’ve mentioned some of the mental health benefits of kayaking, but the physical benefits are not only second to none, but for many even exceed the results that are undeniably achieved in improving our emotional health. It’s not easy for anyone to find a sport that simultaneously helps build muscle mass, increases strength, improves balance and endurance, burns fat and… isn’t boring. Well, kayaking boasts all that and on top of that. Of course, to feel the benefits of this sport, we need to practice it regularly.
Let’s get acquainted with the beneficial effects of kayaking on the body.
Rowing is also cardio
Instead of running around the block (or in the park – for those lucky enough to have one nearby) or on a treadmill at the gym, we can achieve the same effect with proper rowing. Rowing is among the so-called aerobic sports, so it can easily replace your other cardio workouts. We’re not saying it’ll work the first time, but once you’ve mastered the technique and built up some strength, you won’t want to hear about jumping rope and cycling on dirt roads. And your knees will thank you! But most of all, there will be benefits for your cardiovascular system, which will become healthier and ready for greater and greater sporting feats and kayaking adventures!
Tones and tightens the upper body
Paddling a kayak requires you to engage almost all the muscles of your upper body – arms, shoulders, back, chest, lower back, even your stomach. It’s inevitable that we won’t feel the beneficial effects of kayaking on our shapes, as long as we don’t limit ourselves to one paddle, of course – then we’ll be left with muscle soreness and pleasant memories. Kayaking is no substitute for fitness if you’re aiming for a ‘gym-bat’ type body, but it definitely builds tight, well-shaped and strong muscles to garner looks on the beach. As a bonus, while legs aren’t the primary motor force in kayaking, they also firm up while helping us balance our entire body on the kayak.
Kayak for more endurance
It is now clear even to children that even if we make muscles like a bodybuilder, they do not give the body the endurance and very often the strength we expect to see from such big muscles. Endurance is achieved by constant, methodical training and meeting the body with real obstacles and difficulties to overcome. Endurance is a combination of strength, skill, mental toughness and a healthy cardiovascular system. Kayaking usually goes on for hours, which in the long run makes the body resistant to prolonged exertion and increases energy. And what better result for our health than feeling strong, energetic and resilient to physical exertion?
On the kayak we burn calories and lose weight
Let’s get to the point. Who wants to work out for hours, sweat under the scorching sun, get up early to get to a suitable kayaking water, lurk the weather forecast like the announcement of the draw for the World Cup and end up not losing a kilo. Well, we have good news. Kayaking burns a lot of calories and therefore excess fat. You probably guessed this in the cardio part, but let’s confirm it – kayaking makes you lose weight! Here are some figures from fitness instructors who have bothered to calculate them. A vigorous 30-minute workout can burn 255 calories in a 57 kg person, 316 calories in a 70 kg person and 377 calories in an 84 kg person. Multiply that by a few, because with Wild Fun, rowing goes on for hours and just imagine how many calories you’ll burn. And the best part is that while you’re having fun, you won’t even feel yourself burning them.
However, we advise you not to throw yourself into too hard training or kayaking in unsuitable conditions, especially if you are a beginner. Trust professional paddling instructors to guide you on how to start and continue your kayaking adventure, and to ensure your safety at all times so that you get the most out of your training for your mental and physical health. The Wild Fun Adventures Club is staffed only by professionals with years of watersports experience, who prove live the benefits of kayaking on the mind and body and give their all to make every adventurer fall in love with the sport.
A reminder of where we organise our adventures . If you’re feeling tempted to try something new, or you’re already a kayak fan and looking for a way to paddle more often, we’re always here to lend a paddle. Specific dates for kayaking adventures can also be found on our Facebook Page. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions about your overall kayaking experience, regardless of your experience, whether you are on your own or in a group, or if you have organizational uncertainties. We look forward to seeing you riding one kayak at a time, pores the water’s surface and waving a paddle for your new profile photo soon.
