It has been a tough few years and for many of us, life has become pretty mundane and boring. As 2022 has turned into 2023 it's common for people to begin looking for new ways to improve their health, fitness, quality of life, and enjoyment.
Your new year's resolution may have been to lose weight, be healthier, be happier, or get outdoors more. So, how can you achieve all of this in a new and exciting way that you're not going to forget about or become bored of in a month or two's time?
Kayaking!
Kayaking is a fantastic hobby for those of you that are looking to improve your quality of life. It gets you out into nature exploring, can help you lose weight, improves fitness, and is excellent for mental health.
If you're bored of the same old mundane life and routine, kayaking could be a way for you to break out of the cycle and get more out of your life. Let's take a look at some of the ways kayaking can improve your life in this article…
Looking For a New Way to Improve Your Quality of Life?
It can be easy to slip into a boring cycle in life. Many of us fall victim to the nine-to-five life without sparing much in the way of time to get out doing the things we love. It can also be easy to become so focused on your career and/or family that you lose your sense of adventure and your drive to get out doing new things.
With Covid (hopefully) finally behind us, we can all get out doing things again. Now is the time to try new things, get in shape, be healthier, and enjoy life to the fullest. For too long we were trapped inside, left without any hope, enjoyment, or adventure.
Kayaking is a great way to make the most of life and it'll force you to get out exploring. This hobby can turn a simple evening after work into an adventure or a weekend into an expedition, and the best thing about it, it doesn't cost a thing once you've got the kit.
Once you start kayaking you'll realise how bliss it really is. You get so much peace out on the water and a sense of relaxation that's comparable to meditation. You'll start to shed any excess weight and become stronger, healthier, and more athletic. You'll find that the stresses of life flow away with the water and your overall mindset becomes more focused while emotionally, you become more joyous because your life is more fulfilled.
Kayaking is an extremely great way to improve the quality of life of those that enjoy the fresh air and the outdoors. It's also a great way to achieve health and fitness goals because it doesn't really "feel like exercise" because it's enjoyable. Many people open a gym membership in January but many close it after a few months. People that start kayaking in January, often go on to paddle all the way through life.
Kayaking Makes Life More Enjoyable
Kayaking ultimately makes life more fulfilling and far more enjoyable. With a kayak and a plan, instead of heading home after a boring day's work and sitting depressed in front of the television, you can stop past the lake on the way home to go exploring for a couple of hours.
Instead of simply drinking, eating, and sleeping on the weekends kayaking gives you the motivation to get out, be happy, explore, and get fit. Life is great when you have a hobby, it turns a mundane life into something worth living for. Knowing you have a new place to explore in the evening or a kayaking camping trip planned for the weekend makes it all the easier to get through the days and weeks at work, regardless of how much you hate your job.
If you’ve struggled to make friends over the last couple of years or are perhaps tired of old stale relationships, kayaking can be a great way to make new friends and form better relationships. Although kayaking seems and can be lonely (which is nice sometimes) there’s a wonderful array of people that make up the kayaking community.
It’s easy to make friends at local kayaking clubs, through social media groups, and even out on the water. Sharing a hobby with someone is a great way to build lasting friendships. Rather than the typical trip down the pub or meal out on a weekend, you can get out kayaking and have a laugh out on the water with your mates.
Kayaking can make life so much more enjoyable in many ways and as it becomes more regular, you’ll find your happiness grows alongside your strength, health, and well-being. Enjoyment is just a pleasant side effect of kayaking, there are several reasons you may want to start. Kayaking is great for both your physical and mental health…
Physical Health and Kayaking
For those of you that have new year’s resolutions for shedding a few kilograms, getting more in shape, improving your fitness, or becoming more healthy, kayaking is for you. This hobby is demanding on the body. It’s a great workout that works several different muscle groups while providing good cardio.
Kayaking is a great way to lose weight, get into shape, and build strength. It’s not like a gym membership either. Although you should be committed if you decide to kayak for health, fitness, and weight loss, you won’t be constrained by the same old gym and the same old routine.
The reason many people struggle to reach their fitness goals after the new year is that their diet becomes boring and their exercise routine becomes mundane. It’s easy to become bored of the gym especially if you’re more of an outdoorsy adventurous type. Kayaking on the other hand is exciting and it can often be hard to know when to paddle to shore and head home!
Kayaking is seriously addictive. It doesn’t feel like work when you enjoy what you do, this is what makes it so easy to lose weight and get into shape by kayaking. Soon enough, you’ll find you can’t wait to get out exercising on your kayak — a bit better than dragging yourself up and out of bed to go to the gym…
Kayaking is great for your physical health and fitness. The average kayaker will burn around 300 calories per hour while kayaking at a fairly relaxed pace. That’s around the same amount as cycling at a moderate pace. You’ll easily become in a calorie deficit and shed some extra weight if you head out kayaking for two or three hours of an evening or a day or two paddling across a weekend.
Kayaking is great for trimming down, getting into shape, and building muscle as well. Kayaking works out 10 major muscle groups in the body including:
- Abs
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Lats
- Deltoids (shoulders)
- Quadriceps (thighs)
- Hamstrings (backside)
- Quads (front side)
- Glutes (buttocks)
- Calves
Mental Health and Kayaking
It’s not just your physical health that kayaking will benefit. Many people have developed depression through the lockdown periods and if you’ve fallen into the dull nine-to-five routine, you may be feeling stressed, down, and unfulfilled.
Kayaking offers several benefits to mental health. Kayaking can help you combat and even get over your depression. It’s a great way to de-stress, relax, and clear your head of all the jumbled up thoughts that can sometimes overwhelm. Having balance in life is extremely important and working kayaking into your daily or even weekly routine can be extremely beneficial to your mental well-being.
Kayaking is a great form of exercise which is known to be a factor in mental health. Getting regular exercise is said to make people feel happier and help regulate mood.
Kayaking also gets you out exploring nature in the fresh air. Being out in the quiet of nature provides you time out of the hussle of the city, town, or your workplace to unwind and collect your thoughts. Kayaking in nature is almost like a form of meditation. It’s extremely relaxing and re-energising. Whenever I’m feeling down, stressed, or unhappy, a few hours out on the water usually solves the problem.
Having a routine for your mental and physical well-being is just as, if not, more important than your work routine. Kayaking can help you get into a healthy routine that’ll keep you both fit in the mind and body.
Summary: Should You Jump into the Kayaking World This Year?
We think that everyone can benefit from kayaking but whether it’s a hobby to take up that will suit you all comes down to your personality and what you enjoy. If you’re more of a city person and don’t enjoy outdoor sports, it’s probably not for you. However, if you like being outside, enjoy nature, and find yourself drawn to water, kayaking is the perfect hobby.
Kayaking gets you out into nature exploring places that were previously inaccessible. It’s great for your mental and physical wellbeing and can help you reach your new year goals without becoming bored or disheartened.
This is a hobby that puts a spark in your life and provides a new sense of adventure in an otherwise dull world. It’s a great way to reach your goals, explore, fill your free time up, and it can see you making friends that are just as adventurous as you are. Thanks for reading and have a happy new year!
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