Connecticut Water Trails Association
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Connecticut Water Trails Association |
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Connecticut Water Trails Program
Connecticut Water Trails
The Health Benefits
Of Paddling
Get Fit - Get Into
Paddling!
Need to exercise, but can’t stand
the thought of going to the gym? Enjoy training outdoors, but running
has taken its toll on your joints? Want to get fitter, but can’t imagine
yourself in Lycra? Then paddling could be the sport for you. People of all fitness levels can
try paddlesport. The beauty of paddling is that there is something for
everyone – you can push yourself as hard as you want. It can be
competitive or recreational. It can be a team game or an individual test
of speed and ability. It can be a sociable hobby or a way of escaping
the crowds. However you want to pursue paddling, the good news is that
any form of exercise is good for your overall health and well-being. As with most sports, the fitter
you are the more success you will have and the longer that you will be
able to exercise for. However, even if you think yourself quite fit, if
you are new to the sport, you may find that by paddling you use
different muscle groups to other sports. You can increase your enjoyment
of the sport and reduce the likelihood of injury by preparing mentally
and physically, before you even get on the water. A warm-up and a
positive attitude is a good way of reducing injury and underperformance.
You should be aware of your strength and fitness as you attempt more
demanding forms of paddling. Listening to your body and being aware of
yourself and the water go along way to ensuring your long-term enjoyment
of the sport. Below is a rough guide to the
calories burned canoeing, compared to other sports and activities.
Obviously the demands on a
freestyle paddler or a marathon paddler are very different from a
paddling around gently. A simple measure to gauge the intensity of your
workout is the talk test. If you can carry on a conversation with
someone your activity level is light to moderate, if you cannot complete
a sentence without becoming winded, your activity is vigorous.
Exercising vigorously may not be best for you, a longer paddling session
at a lower intensity may be better for you – everyone is different. Many people use paddling as their
main form of exercise, and contrary to the fact that your legs do not
appear to be doing much, if you have good technique, paddling is a good
all-body workout. If you want to progress with your paddling skills, you
may want to consider exercising off the water. Any fairly vigorous
physical activity will help the cardiovascular system and improve your
fitness. Swimming, cycling and running are all good supplementary
activities to canoeing. Or you may prefer to go climbing or snowboarding
– both complementary disciplines and outdoor sports. However you choose to exercise,
aim for a good all-round level of fitness. Regular exercise in
moderation will help to remain free from injury and illness. Paddling Offers A Lifetime Of
Varied Benefits: It is forever rewarding. The basic
skills can be learned in a day or so. But, you can
have fun perfecting those basic skills and learning new ones for years.
Paddling as a hobby provides the basis for a health and fitness
lifestyle. It can be relaxing. It
is at times challenging. It is a fun social activity.
Or it can be pursued solo. It is something you
can spend a few hours enjoying. Or you can challenge
yourself to an expedition of days or even weeks. Weight Loss Through Paddling
Fitness Training: To move the boat at about 5 mph is going to require
about 0.1 hp of effort. Which is going to use up about 400 calories per
hour. And so, four hours of paddling is going to burn
up about 1600 calories! A weight watcher's dream! Stress Reduction Through Paddling: Placing the paddle in the water and performing a good stroke is enjoyable. Watching your boat move through the water by your own effort is enjoyable. Spending a few hours under the sky, on the water, watching the colors of the blues, the greens, the grays, and the browns is enjoyable. A couple of times a week for a few hours, getting this kind of exercise is going to make anybody feel better! Back, Chest, Stomach, Arms And
Toning Through Paddling Fitness Training: When you are paddling you can
expect to do about 500, maybe more, maybe less, strokes per mile!
Placing the paddle in the water and executing a good stroke is
going to incorporate every muscle in the upper body and some lower body
muscles as well. This means that in one hour at 3 mph
you are going to do about 1500 repetitions of low impact upper body
movements, which no matter what your fitness goals are, you are going to
tone up almost every muscle in your body. Hey, you
are going to look good !
Body Benefits - The Facts
Upper Body Size And Strength:
Paddling uses most of the muscles of the arms and shoulders. Research
from Kingston University found that elite kayakers had greater
circumferences of the upper arm, forearm and chest than less experienced
kayakers or non-kayakers. Grip strength is also enhanced by paddling.
Cardiovascular Fitness:
A study at Manchester Metropolitan University demonstrated superior
heart strength in canoeists. The average mass of the left ventricle (one
of the chambers of the heart) was more than 50 per cent greater in
paddlers than in sedentary people, enabling them to pump blood around
the body more efficiently.
Improved Mental Health
: Research in the Journal of Leisurability found that a 12-week paddling
program enhanced feelings of self-worth, confidence and adequacy in
participants. They also reported feeling better about their physical
appearance.
Lean Body Composition
: Research from Australia, published in the Journal of Science and
Medicine in Sport, reported low levels of body fat and a body
composition favoring lean muscle mass in Olympic sprint canoe and kayak
paddlers.
Core Strength
: The core muscles help provide a good torso twist in paddlesport, as
well as aiding stability in the boat. Among the many reasons people may
choose paddling is that they do so for exercise. Paddling is indeed
great exercise, providing fantastic aerobic and cardiovascular effects
as well as upper body strength. Both canoes and kayaks will offer you
this benefit, regardless of the type of paddling you choose to do. They
also provide these health effects whether they are sought or not.
A Side Benefit
: Although some people do paddle purely for the exercise, more often
than not this benefit proves to be a side effect of paddling for other
purposes. Whether you are a whitewater kayaker braving a class iv river,
a sea kayaker out in the open water, or a canoeist on a secluded lake,
paddling will act as both an aerobic form of exercise as well as a great
workout for your back, abs, and arms. Whereas these people were just
doing what they loved most, they were actually reaping the rewards of a
complete workout without sacrificing any time from being with loved ones
or doing the things they enjoy most.
A Deliberate Endeavor
: Still, there are those who do paddle purely for exercise and health
reasons. For these individuals, the sky (or should I say the water) is
the limit. You can go as fast, as far, and as long as you wish or your
workout permits. There are kayaks, canoes, and paddles that are built
purely for these purposes. Again, this type of workout can be attained
in either a canoe or a kayak although the kayak seems to be the boat of
choice among the average person looking for a good paddling workout.
Preparation
: Anyone who has paddled their own canoe or kayak even once knows about
the amount of energy that is expended just getting ready to paddle or in
putting away their gear. There’s lifting boats up, putting them down,
tying them on the roofs of cars, removing them, carrying them to and
from the water, helping your friends, and dealing with all the gear
throughout the process. At first this sounds like a hassle but what
activity is there that doesn’t require preparation and clean up? The
truth is this is not a bother at all since you are doing what you love
and in the process you’re getting a great workout.
Proper Technique :
The most important consideration when paddling, especially for exercise,
is to maintain proper technique. The repetitive nature of the sport can
adversely cause wear and tear on your joints when proper posture and
paddling technique are not observed. Furthermore, more serious injuries
like dislocating a shoulder are possible in whitewater paddling. Also,
some of the more frequent paddling injuries occur while lifting and
carrying canoes and kayaks to and from a paddling excursion. Learning
and using proper lifting, posture, and paddling technique will reduce
the occurrence of paddling related soreness and injury.
It’s Healthy and Fun!
As if we needed another reason to get out onto the water, the fact
remains that whether you are looking for it or not, paddling canoes and
kayaks provides a great form of exercise in a usually beautiful setting.
There are few activities available to us that give such a balanced
approach to our cardiovascular system and our upper body strength as
paddling does. These health benefits are often a side effect of simply
doing what you love most. So get out there on
the water and live a healthy life!
Calories Burned Paddling
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