Kayaking is one of the most fun water sports you can do in your spare time for many reasons. Not only it can improve your health, but when done regularly kayaking with friends or alone it can be a great way to meet new people and develop new relationships.
There are different types of kayaks: recreational, fishing, racing, surfing, and sea kayaks. Recreational kayaks are used for casual trips, fishing is a very popular recreational activity and it requires specialized boats such as sea kayaks. Racing and surfing kayaks are designed for experienced paddlers, but you can try these sports when you feel more comfortable in your abilities after trying easier types of kayaking.
1. Improve Your Overall Health
If you have a sedentary lifestyle or if you don’t exercise at all, then kayaking is a great way to improve your health. Kayaking is a cardio workout that strengthens leg muscles and it can easily be done by people of different fitness levels, and any age. Paddling requires leg strength but also arm endurance. It is good for your heart and lungs, but it can be sustained only when accompanied by proper paddling technique in order to avoid back pain or neck strain. Breathing in cold fresh air while kayaking outside in the open is great for respiratory health.
2. Unwind And Relax
Kayaking can be an excellent way to relax, clear your mind and take in nature. Paddling is a great full-body workout so it will force you to forget about any stress or anxiety that you might have accumulated throughout the day. After a kayaking session, you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
Being stressed out most of the time is bad for your health. Being anxious is also not good for your mental and physical well-being. When you’re active in some way, like engaging in water sports, it makes it easier to deal with stress and anxiety. For this reason, kayaks are used for different types of therapy including physical rehabilitation.
It can be a great form of self-care if you have the time to relax and enjoy being in nature. Kayaking can be a great meditation where you focus your mind on your breathing, paddling forward and upon surroundings.
3. Low-Impact And Great For Beginners
Water provides resistance so paddling will impact your muscles gently but firmly which is great news if you have joint pain or if you want to increase muscle strength without straining the joints.
It can be a great workout that helps you tone muscles in your arms and legs without putting too much strain on your joints. Doing low-impact activities is especially important for people who are overweight or older people. These kinds of workouts are safer than high-impact activities that can result in injuries.
Kayaking is great for beginners because you can go at your own pace. You don’t need to be in good shape either, just start slow and build up strength gradually until you’re ready to take on more physically demanding types of kayaking.
4. Builds Confidence
Kayaking is a great way to build confidence in your abilities because it requires focus, coordination, endurance, and strength but mostly balance. When you feel confident about something, you are more likely to put yourself out there and try new things which is good for mental health.
Low self-esteem is also bad for your health. Building confidence can have a positive impact on your life because it enables you to try out new things. From trying out new types of food to being more assertive in social situations, you will find yourself becoming willing to step outside your comfort zone.
If you are confident about your abilities then people around you will be more likely to come to you for advice, and they’ll see that you’re an expert in what you do. Having a lot of self-confidence can make it easier for you to get along with other people without having the fear of being judged.
5. Connect With Nature
Kayaking is a great way to connect with nature. It allows you to appreciate the world around you because it’s not all about you, it’s also about surroundings. You will see different creatures in the water and on land, kayaking also provides an opportunity to slow down and admire your environment.
Being out in nature can have incredible benefits for mental and physical health. Admiring the world around you is a great way to appreciate life. It can be very therapeutic spending time out in nature, breathing in the fresh air, feeling the sun on your skin and the wind in your hair.
It’s not just about admiring nature but also understanding it better which leads you to respect it more. You will learn about the importance of taking care of nature especially protecting it from pollution. You will have a better appreciation for wildlife and you’ll be more likely to protect their habitats.
6. Bonding With Friends And Family
Kayaking is also great because you can do it with your family or friends, so if you need some quality time together this might be an activity that you can all enjoy.
Having an activity that you can do with family members is important because it makes you spend time together. It doesn’t have to be an activity that’s difficult, there are many easy ones that are fun too. Spending time together creates memories that will stay with you for a long time.
Kayaking with friends is also a good way for everyone to try something new together and have a laugh about the struggle in the beginning when you don’t know what you’re doing. But in the end, kayaking can be a great way for all of you to have some quality time together and go on an adventure.
Whether you’re new to kayaking or you’ve been doing it for years, this is a great sport that can help you relax and de-stress at the end of the day. It’s fun for everyone and it can make you healthier by providing low-impact workouts. Every day offers up difficult and frustrating challenges. It’s easy to get overwhelmed these days with all the stress of work, school, and family commitments. Kayaking is a great way for you to take some time out for yourself so you can breathe in both fresh air and peace. So now that you know how good kayaking is for your health, go out there and try something new!
Published on Holr Magazine