Health Benefits of Paddle Sports

Why exercise with paddle sports?

Because it's fun!

Granted, for most people the lake or river is not as accessible as the local gym or their home exercise bike, but if you've got the option of a weekly or twice weekly trip to a body of water and the resources for owning a boat, there is no substitution for improving your physical and mental well-being. Forget the physical benefits of moving your canoe or kayak through the water for an hour or so, and just focus on your state of mind. Do you really feel that much better, mentally, after pedaling away under fluorescent lights next to strangers while listening to REO Speedwagon or the latest Britney track? It is assumed to be good for your body, but we find these environmental details more than a little suffocating.

Low impact, greater strength

Many fitness experts skeptical of the aerobic craze scoff at hours of jogging, biking, and using the elliptical, saying it doesn't encourage the growth of short-fiber, lean muscle. Increasing your lean muscle is the best way to increase your metabolism and burn more calories in general, throughout the day. Simple cardiovascular exercises such as jogging work only if you are burning more calories than you are taking in, which requires a very strict diet and can often leave you uncomfortable.

Rowing and paddling on the other hand, are long-term, cardiovascular exercises that also build muscle fibers. You may notice that the serious fitness folk spend some time on the row machine, and, when they lift weights, favor row motions over standard lifts like bicep curls and tricep extensions. The rowing and paddling motion employs nearly every muscle in your core, lateral abdominals, chest, back, and arms. Different strokes prevent repetitive exercising, which tend to be less effective. As your body gets used to running or biking for example, doing the same motion reaps less benefits over time.

Stand up paddle boards

Should you enjoy stand up paddle boarding (and we're willing to bet you would if you tried it), you'll gain an even better total body workout. By standing, you are forcing your body to balance, coordinate, and refine your leg muscles in ways that more traditional exercises cannot match. Think about it, you don't often see a surfer or rower with a beer belly, do you?

The clincher

So if you're looking for something new that won't get old, try to get out on the lake with your kayak or canoe at least once a week. It's great by yourself or with a partner, is unparalleled in fitness potential, and facilitates conversation and fun much better than a sterile gym environment.