Kayak Exercises

Kayaking is one of our favorite activities on the lake. It is so relaxing just to paddle about, as we leave all our worries behind and just enjoy the calmness around us. It has additional health benefits as well. The repetitive motions of moving the paddles can help increase muscle tone. It is said that moving a kayak at 5mph uses about 400 calories per hour, and can be part of a weight loss regimen. We have yet to achieve that speed but maybe the calories we burn can offset the beer that inevitable follows this exercise.

Kayaking can easily tire the uninitiated. When paddling, one can expect to do about 500 strokes per mile, with each stroke incorporating every upper body muscle and some lower muscles as well. Not just the shoulders but also the core, hips and thigh muscles are involved. The repetitive motion for the shoulders and core is countered by a stable lower body. Maintaining flexibility is therefore essential to a successful and injury-free kayaking. Click here for some flexibility exercises.


To build muscle strength for kayaking, several exercise regimens are available on-line. The following videos which accompanied an article on Sea Kayaker Magazine demonstrates some simple exercises one can do before and after kayaking.