Kayaking and Calories

Kayaking and Calories

Hello, I'm the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/ 

Here's your outdoor tip on kayaking and calories.

Kayaking is great for connecting with nature.  You’ll see things you will never see hiking, biking, or riding in a car or train.  You can relax mentally on the water and at the same time physically challenge yourself.  And kayaking is a great way to lose weight.

If the call of the wild does not draw you to the nearest body of water, kayaking should with its unique upper body strength and aerobic workout that cannot be compared to any workout you can get at home or in the gym.  You stimulate your lower back and abdominal muscles as you work your upper back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms.

Just as biking and running are popular sports to burn calories, kayaking will burn calories and provides a unique way to have fun.  The American College of Sports Medicine says that enjoying an activity promotes exercise and the resulting weight loss.

According to the American Council on Exercise, a 125 lb person uses about 283 calories per hour while kayaking. A 200 lb. person burns about 454 calories since the heavier you are the more energy you expend when you exercise.  When you compare 1 hour of walking to 1 hour of kayaking, you’ll find the difference can be up to 50 calories or more.  So in regard to calories, an hour of paddling is about the equivalent of an hour and 20 minutes of walking. For example kayaking burns more calories per hour than cycling or running at 5.5 mph or less.  Playing softball only uses 283 calories per hour.  Kayaking at a moderate pace burns about the same calories per hour as easy swimming or slow jogging.  Hiking on varied terrain for an hour will push you nearly 150 calories higher than paddling for that hour invested, but you can also increase the intensity of your paddling to increase the calories burned.  Kayaking does not burn as many calories as cross-country skiing, but your heart gets a great workout and it's probably something you will really enjoy doing.

The numbers go on and on with the calculations and variables.  You can search the Internet for Web sites that provide you will calorie calculators for kayaking.  Many of them will provide you with a good estimate for your calorie burning based on your size and age.  I’ve listed several at the end of the transcript for this show.  For example, Fit Today (http://www.fitday.com/webfit/burned/calories_burned_Kayaking.html) asks you to put in your height, weight, sex, and age and you get an immediate number for calories burned.

Once you get on the water, you need to remember that it is not exercise burning calories if you stop every few minutes to watch the birds.  Paddling for pleasure and paddling for exercise can be different things.  Maintaining speed over a set duration of time is what rewards you by burning calories.  You need to also remember staying fit is not just about burning calories, but kayaking also will build muscles and improve your flexibility.

You can get great strength benefits and build your anaerobic capacity by doing interval training in a kayak—pushing hard for one minute, then relaxing for two to three minutes, then hitting it aggressively again. Athletes training for kayaking competition do a lot of intervals.

Richard Cotton, an executive wellness coach, says "Kayaking is an excellent cross-training modality, especially for runners, who often have great legs and wimpy arms." Oliver Fix, the 1996 Olympic men's kayak champion agrees saying that kayaking is a great alternative to conventional fitness training, which focuses mainly on the lower body. "For people with knee problems, kayaking takes an unhealthy stress off and allows them to challenge themselves and increase their fitness levels."

So what are the health benefits of kayaking?

·        Improve your flexibility

·        Develop your core strength

·        Strengthen your upper back, chest, shoulders and arms

·        Increase you endurance

·        And most important of all—enjoy your interactions with nature.

Before you purchase a kayak, it’s a good idea to check with an outfitter and rent the gear you need.  Personal preferences and the local water you will be paddling, can make a difference on the kayak and paddle you choose.  After you have some experience on the water, you’ll be able to buy the equipment that is right for you. And most important of all, have a good life vest that you can wear for safety while you are paddling.

Explore nature with a kayak and you will never want to stop exploring the outdoors with this close and personal form of exercise and adventure.

This is the OUTDOOR PROFESSOR from DiscoveringTheOutdoors.com/

Additional outdoor tips can be received by subscribing to the Outdoor Professor Tips on iTunes or Stitcher.  If you enjoy outdoor tips, you’ll also find an ebook at Amazon.com with a collection of the Outdoor Professor Tips.

 

References-Additional Reading

 

Calories Burned Per Hour of Kayaking
http://www.livestrong.com/article/306460-calories-burned-per-hour-of-kayaking/
Calories Burned from Kayaking-Calorie Calculator
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/exercise/calories-burned/kayaking-87
How many calories do you burn during kayaking? – Calculator
http://www.fitday.com/webfit/burned/calories_burned_Kayaking.html
Is kayaking a good way to lose weight?
http://www.kayakquixotica.com/2011/07/28/is-kayaking-a-good-way-to-lose-weight/
Give your legs a break…try kayaking
http://www.med.nyu.edu/content?ChunkIID=13804

Check out this episode!