Shape up for the Summer

Things are starting to heat up. The days are getting longer and the sun is getting stronger and our summer senses are being aroused, awakened by thoughts of no more clouds, of sun drenched days on the warm sand, the sea air no longer a sharp and biting whip across our faces reminiscent of a cold and bleak winter, but now a tantalizingly, refreshing cool breeze that skips it’s way across our souls and flirts it’s way around our sensibilities evoking memories of beach days, pool days, holidays and happy days. And then, out of the blue, there’s a slight daunting feeling starting to creep in, a feeling that you can’t quite put your finger on, and you ask yourself how can such fond memories cause such a sinking feeling to seep in? And then it hits you, it hits you hard and smacks you, “Shit, I’m totally out of shape!”.

It’s true, the winter months have taken their toll, and your goals of staying on track and keeping fit have slacked. Months of sumptuous hot stews and crusty pies and cosy nights huddled in front of the fire with a TV series or two have made a slouch out of you and it’s time to face the facts. That swimsuit ain’t never gonna fit unless we try and rectify this lapse in fitness etiquette quick smart.

Thankfully, here at Galaxy Kayaks, we have a few tricks up our sleeve to help you shed those winter pounds and to ease you back into your perfect sizzling summer shape and these tricks come in the fine form of kayaks. Kayaks of all shapes and sizes. Leisure kayaks, sea kayaks, and even tandem, two people kayaks, and believe us, kayaking works on all levels as a superb way to loose weight and get fit.

Be it rolling and bracing through the glistening waters of your choice, slicing through the waves and carving up the surf, gliding across the glassy surface of a lake or feeling the full flow of a frothing river beneath you will be doing your somewhat “out of shape” body real favor. Kayaking burns calories, tones and builds muscles and increases your cardiovascular performance and as such is an all in one workout second to none. Unlike other fitness activities that most people include in their weekly fitness regime, kayaking is a low impact workout. High impact sessions such as running can have a negative effect on your joints and muscles, whereas kayaking, wholesome in it’s the effect, does not inflict the same stresses upon your body whilst seriously burning some calories, therefore making for a much more gentle and kinder fitness regime.

So, exactly how many calories does kayaking burn and exactly what body parts does kayaking work?

Well, firstly, an individual weighing approximately 60kgs will burn around 300 calories in one hour whilst paddling in the region of 3 miles per hour. A person weighing 90kgs will burn a whopping 450 calories in the same time frame, paddling at the same speed.

It’s fair to say that paddling works the entire upper body. In one hour, at 3mph you can expect to achieve approximately 1,500 reps of low impact upper body, lower core, and upper abdominal training and toning. The core muscles are used not only to paddle but also to maintain balance and to turn and steer the kayak, maximising on the low impact workout of this area of the body, all the while strengthening and toning.

Every continuous stroke of the paddle also provides a superb cardiovascular workout by increasing the heart rate and aiding in shedding those pounds, whilst of course most importantly improving the efficiency of your heart and lungs.

Your legs are also heavily worked whilst kayaking, since by applying pressure to the inside of the kayak with your thighs to assist in the turning and steering of the kayak you are continuously contracting the muscles in your legs which in turn have the subtle effect of incorporating isometric exercises into every kayaking experience, creating lean, toned and muscular pains.

So, check the extensive range of kayaks available from Galaxy Kayaks and get your self beach fit by getting kayak fit, by getting river fit, by getting sea fit, by getting on a lake and paddling up and down and all around it, find any stretch of water that you love and explore it. Explore while you train, explore while you shed the pounds and tone and strengthen your body in every way that you can, and when you’re laid back in that comfy beach chair with the sun on your face, in your favourite bikini, with a cool beverage in your hand and a maybe even cheeky burger and chips, you won’t regret it and you will certainly deserve it!