The Benefits of Kayaking
Kayaking is one such adventure sport that has a little something for everybody. From fighting fast flowing rapids to calm strokes through calm waters, kayaking almost mimics your mood. Not enough of a reason to pick up the paddle? Here are a few of our favourite reasons for why you should go kayaking today!
Get Closer to Nature
Kayaking is one of the many adventure sports that helps you get close to and interact with nature in a way you wouldn’t think was possible. Explore places and witness sights that only a few have ever witnessed putting you into an exclusive club. Wildlife is generally less shy around paddlers as opposed to larger boats. How many of us can saw we’ve seen a crocodile in its natural habitat, devoid of fences and prodding animal wranglers up close? The Croc Challenge Kayak in Goa, lets you get up close and personal with these majestic giants. A calm paddle towards the mangrove mudflats is where you will find them soaking some sun. And NO, they do not overturn kayaks and attack humans. They are shy creatures and will simply swim away. You cannot get closer to crocodiles in the wild than from a kayak.
Exercise for people recovering from injuries
Pre existing injuries are often one of the biggest reason many are hesitant to indulge in adventure sports. Kayaking is one such adventure sport that minimises the risk of agitating any in injuries. Besides burning calories, toning muscles and being an all over great cardio workout kayaking can also help work your leg muscles without any wear and tear. In addition to using your legs to steer the kayak, the constant rotating of your upper body to paddle also requires you to work your leg muscles. Another good reason to skip the treadmill and hit the waters. Unlike running that puts a lot of pressure on your joints, kayaking is a less demanding workout.
A sport for all ages
Kayaking isn’t age restrictive. Anyone from a 2-year-old toddler to an 80-year-old war veteran can enjoy the experience of paddling a kayak through the water. If you can row, you can go! Although some of the manoeuvres in advanced kayaking such as the Eskimo roll may seem intimidating at first, with enough practice you can master them in no time. Soon they become second nature. A tandem kayaking trip is one of the best ways to get your child in touch with the excitement associated with adventure sports and natural beauty that surrounds it.
Relieve Stress
Living in an age of ‘all work and no play’ has led us to get accustomed to the stress that surrounds that kind of lifestyle. It’s important to get rid of stress and let out some steam from time to time in order to avoid burdening ourselves mentally. Kayaking offers the perfect platform to help you do just that. “Just the sound of my paddle touching the calm waters is enough to make me forget about all the stress I gather up at work,” says Samantha, 21, a marketing executive. “If I’ve had a particularly hectic week, kayaking is my go to nature therapist to help get things off my mind”. The act of paddling through quiet calm waters is a very therapeutic experience. Research suggest kayaking can also enhance feelings of self-worth, confidence, feelings of adequacy and increased social interaction.
Paddle your way to a toned body
Kayaking is one of the best cardio and upper body workouts you can indulge in. Gyms can be dull and boring but paddling your way through a swelling river will leave you gasping for breath. Paddling against the force of the rapids enhances and strengthens the muscles in your arms and shoulders. Many exercises claim to be good for your cardiovascular system but kayaking is hands down the most interesting of the lot. Having to constantly paddle from side to side and move your body weight to maneuver through the river is an insane workout but one that leaves you with a healthier heart increased core strength and a flatter tummy. 4 hours of kayaking can burn up to 1600 calories.
You can kayak in almost any water body
Unlike most adventure sports, kayaking has a number of different variations and doesn’t limit you to only rivers or streams. You can indulge in Kayaking in any waterbody, from gushing rivers and zig zagging shorelines to the open ocean. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, try your hand at whitewater kayaking. However, If peace and quiet are what you seek, all you need to do is pick up a kayak, hit the calm backwaters and let the calm waves crest and trough your worries away against the backdrop of a sober sunset over the horizon.
Kayaking is Cheaper than you may think
Price plays an important role in deciding on a hobby. Kayaking may seem like an expensive hobby to have but there’s an easy fix to that too. A major chunk of your investment in the sport will go towards buying a kayak. Kayaks are expensive and can cost you over $3000 to buy a good one. The best alternative to buying an expensive kayak is renting one. You can rent a kayak with all the gear needed on a per day basis. When you are starting out, it’s always a good idea to learn from experienced kayakers. Advensure offers kayaking activities as low as Rs.775 and a number of other pocket friendly adventures for you to explore.
