Kayaking is a great activity that helps promote participation in exercise, gives the opportunity to socialize and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
Plus, a regular paddling session is certain to result in subsequent weight loss. While the calories burning during kayaking aren’t the fastest, a day long kayak trip has the ability to promote all-round health and well-being.
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How Many Calories Do You Burn During Kayaking?
Here are several issues that relate to the calories you will burn while kayaking:
Calories Burned Kayaking For 1 Hour
The ability to burn calories on a paddling session is influenced by several factors, including the intensity, time on the water, and body weight.
For instance, a kayaker with a body weight of 125-lbs has the potential to burn 290-310 calories on an average 60 minutes in the water. But, for the kayaker at a heavier 185-lb, there is the potential to burn about 450-lbs for the same 60-minute paddling session.
A kayaker with the higher body weight will use more energy in the process of paddling and moving the kayak forward. The ability to burn calories is increased by making the activity more difficult, such as paddling against the wind or current.
A kayaker needs to burn 3500 calories in order to drop 1-lbs of body fat. So, for the kayaker at a weight of 165-lbs it would be necessary to paddling for up to 8.5 hours to achieve the 1-lbs loss in body fat. This paddling session can accumulate over time.
How Does Kayaking Compare To Other Activities?
Even though a day long kayaking session has the potential to burn 1000 calories, the calorie burn for this particular activity isn’t very fast.
Other activities with similar calorie burn counts include softball, snorkeling, skateboarding, and walking (average speed 4.5 miles per hour). Faster calorie burning activities in the water include scuba diving, water skiing, and swimming.
Running at 5.5 miles per hour has the potential to burn more calories per 60 minutes compared to kayaking for the same time-frame.
For instance, a runner (average speed 5.5 miles per hour) with a body weight of 125-lbs has the potential to burn 452 calories per 60 minutes (this compares to 290 calories for kayaking).
Benefit From Regular Aerobic Exercise
A regular kayaking session is a reliable aerobic exercise which is certain to help improve the all-round health and well-being.
For a healthier body and mind, it is recommended that everybody engages in at least 2.5 hours of aerobic exercise weekly at a moderate intensity. Although, for those with limited free time, an alternative option is the faster intensity workout at the shorter time-frame (75 minutes are usually enough).
Other aerobic exercises widely available to most includes cycling and running.
Low Impact Activity for Better Mind and Body
Kayaking is a low impact activity which means it is a great form of exercise for those with joint issues or discomfort.
Plus, it is a useful exercise to improve muscle strength in the core, back, arms, and shoulders, while also benefiting the cardiovascular system. While the legs aren’t active in propelling the kayak forward, they can still benefit and are working in the process of navigating the kayak.
Also, this is a relaxing type of activity which is helpful for reducing the level of anxiety and stress.
