Health Benefits of Kayaking

Paddle Your Way to Better Health

With the summer heat upon us, it can be challenging to find activities that keep us active while simultaneously beating the heat. Fortunately, kayaking is a viable low-impact workout that can help you break a sweat while enjoying the water at the same time.

Whether you live close to a river, lake, or the ocean—the health experts at ATRIO Health Plans are here to share how this versatile water sport can help you stay in shape while you enjoy the summer weather.

Improves Muscle Strength

When kayaking, you are using a double-bladed oar to paddle to move through the water. Since you are using your arms to move your boat, you’re engaging in a full upper-body workout that targets the following muscles:

• Back
• Core
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Arms

Increases Vitamin D Levels

When it comes to supporting strong and healthy bones, vitamin D plays an important role because vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium. While we can get vitamin D from the foods we eat, we can also produce it on our own when we spend time in the sun. Fortunately, this sport allows you to soak up plenty of sunlight!

Supports Cognitive Brain Function

Along with supporting various areas of your physical health, getting regular exercise also helps to support your memory and critical thinking skills. Engaging in aerobic activities like kayaking can help you to effectively boost the size of your hippocampus—which is the area of the brain responsible for verbal memory and learning.

Improves Sleep Quality

Getting regular exercise also helps to improve your sleep quality for adults by reducing the time it takes to fall asleep—reducing the time you lay awake in bed at night. Exercise also helps to reduce daytime drowsiness.

If you’re looking for a summertime activity to support various areas of your health, hit the water and grab a paddle!