Sports, in general, have been proven to be beneficial for your health; however, water sports are especially popular amongst some not only because of the adrenaline rush they provide which in sports practice helps build strength, endurance, and speed but also because of their numerous other health benefits. 

Almost every major water sport provides you with complete physical exercise of the body while also keeping the fun element of it alive. Not just physical but the psychological benefits of water sports are great too; one of them being your mind encourages your body to take in more fresh oxygen whenever at sea. One of the most famous of these water sports is kayaking and here are its top ten health benefits.

Improves cardiovascular fitness:

While it may seem so, kayaking is not an easy sport and demands physical concentration. For that reason, one of its major benefits is improved cardio fitness of a person. When you’re paddling and steering your kayak, you’re engaging your cardio muscles which in turn have several benefits. It has been proven to strengthens your heart and lungs and increase your bone density as well as providing you with more energy.

Weight loss:

Because of it being a demanding sport, kayaking also encourages weight loss. When you’re kayaking at a normal pace which is about 5 M/H, you burn around 400 calories an hour all of which you’re doing while having fun. An average kayaking trip lasts about 2-3 hour, so you're burning around 800-1600 calories at that time.

Upper body workout:

Splashing the paddle in the water and stroking it is not an easy job and executing a good stroke engages the whole of your upper body in the process. It provides you with multiple repetitions of upper body movement and shapes and tones your torso.

Improved torso and leg strength:

Kayaking engages your body more and improves your torso and leg strength because the strength to power a kayak comes from rotating the torso and applying pressure with your legs.

Increased stamina:

Because kayaking is a sport which engages all of your body, you’re bound to use your stamina, and the more intense your kayaking is, the better your stamina will be over time as it improves your stamina.

Engaging in a fun activity like kayaking especially if you’re fond of water improves endorphins levels of your body which in turn help you in maintaining a better mood throughout the day and keep you fresh.

While its physical benefits are great, kayaking is also a very meditative experience. It engages you with nature and being in the water and paddling for some can be a very relaxing experience. 

Kayaking has been scientifically proven to reduce stress levels in people engaging in the activity. Watching your boat flowing in the water, under the sky amongst all the green and blue you can find can be a very relaxing and enjoyable experience, and doctors often recommend this activity to people who are stressed.

The sun is one of the primary sources of vitamin D, and whenever you’re on the water kayaking, you’re making sure that your body soaks up all the vitamin D it needs.

Whenever you’re planning a kayaking trip, chances are you’re not planning to do it alone. You will either be with friends or family or both, and this encourages social interaction, and you get a chance to catch up with old friends and even make new ones. Here’s a link that can be of great help to plan a kayaking trip. 

I hope it helps. Have a great day!

About the Author:

Tom is a blogger and a nature lover. He is obsessed with traveling and adventures and that too with his family. He believes that water has a steady hold of him. He regularly writes about his experiences at http://kayakcritic.net/.