A New Workout Routine - Kayaking for exercise.
K.L. Amadio
Spring is the time of year when you yearn to finally get outdoors and pursue your health and exercise goals in the fresh air. Many of us dust off the old bicycle, oil the chain and exchange running shoes and treadmills for cycling in the great outdoors. That bicycle really works the lower body and cardio system, but how do you accomplish the same for the upper body.
Why not give Kayaking a try?
Kayaking, like most sports, develops endurance and increases strength. And because the work is delegated to the upper body, it is great for developing the chest, back and shoulders. Of course, your cardiovascular system gets a workout too.
All bodies of water are good potentials for kayaking. You can kayak on the ocean, a lake or river. Some people confuse a canoe and kayak but they are different vessels. The kayak has what is referred to as a closed cockpit where you sit on the bottom of the boat with legs straight forward enclosed by a canopy to keep water out of the boat. A canoe is open.
Divers and fisherman use kayaks as do adventure sportsman because of the kayak's adaptability and range of touring. Kayaking as a sport has grown tremendously in popularity which has, unfortunately, driven up the cost of equipment over the last several years.
A very decent beginner's level inflatable style kayak can be had for around $250. You can sometimes find them at Costco or at a sporting goods store. There are cheaper versions, but like bicycles, you don't want to start with the $59 version if you seriously want to include kayaking in your fitness routine. $700-$1,000 can buy you a single-man kayak for recreational paddling of all skill levels, for ocean or fresh water. Prices go up from there depending on your skill level and style of use.
The better kayaks are more stable in the water and made of materials that make them light and easier to handle. This increases the price. To get around the cost increases of the better equipment, consider purchasing a used model better suited to the classification you become interested in.
Kayaks are categorized into five basic classes based on their intended use. There are general recreation models, light touring or day-trip styles, touring-expedition, surf and whitewater models. And as noted, usability affects price in every classification.
Though kayaking can be expensive, it doesn't have to be. Nor does it have to happen in major rapids to be beneficial to your strength and endurance levels. It's a great upper body workout for anyone. For fitness purposes, kayaking is actually well suited to still water like lakes while rivers provide their own tests. And of course, it requires strength, endurance and the ability to make calculated choices in order to navigate successfully and safely.
So if you enjoy exercise outdoors and more importantly, you enjoy the water, add kayaking to your health and fitness routine this year.
About the Author:
When going out on the water, you've got to put on original kayaking art when paddling. See Puple Arts for great kayaking t-shirts and "Get your Art On!" K.L. Amadio is a freelance writer and webmaster of Taekwondo-Network, your source for all things tae kwon do.
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