Kayaking is one of the most popular water sports in Australia. In fact, anyone that has ever gone kayaking will tell you that it offers a thrilling experience like no other activity. For a start, the activity can be done by anyone because it’s as easy as a walk in the park. All you need is a canoe, life jacket and a paddle. Besides that, you can kayak on any water body. Amateur kayakers prefer to navigate through calm waters while experienced swimmers can paddle through rough waters such as on rivers. Continue reading below to learn more about the benefits of kayaking.
1. Meet New People
Kayaking expeditions provide a perfect opportunity for making friends. This is because you will definitely meet new people as you go paddling on the lake. In fact, you will meet people from all walks of life. There are even social groups that are made up of people love to kayak during their free time. Whether you go to the lake alone or with a friend, you can be sure that you will never lack someone to keep you company. As a matter of fact, kayak guides encourage people to go in groups so that they can monitor each other. There are actually some people that have met lifetime partners by simply kayaking regularly. Apart from meeting someone that you can settle down with, you can also bond with people that can later become your support network.
2. Avoid Stress
If you have been experiencing stress in your life or battling with addiction, it’s advisable you join a kayaking for beginners group. When you stay at home the whole day, you will only concentrate on the issue that’s bothering you, which in return will make the situation worse. But when you choose to get busy by kayaking at the nearest river, ocean or lake, you will be able to divert your attention away from the problem that’s stressing you. At the end of the day, you will return home when your mind is relaxed.
3. Experience Nature and Tranquility
If you are like most people, your life definitely revolves around computers and other smart tech devices. These devices crowd your life and deny you time to relax. When you go kayaking, you get a chance to get away from pollutants such as noise, smoke and dust that’s usually experienced in congested cities. Besides that, you are able to visit habitats and see animal and plant species that other people only read about in books. In addition to that, the adventure that you experience causes you to start seeing life from a different perspective.
4. Helps in Weight Management
Although kayaking is not a vigorous activity, it really helps in burning calories. In fact, the activity targets almost every muscle of the body. Since you will be turning as you paddle, the move will help in stretching your hips. As you dip the paddle in the water and push it backwards, you will be toning the biceps in your arms and as well as the shoulders. Your backbone will also be much stronger and flexible. By paddling faster, you will definitely increase your metabolic rate and heart rate. This will cause your body to burn excess fats to generate energy. When your heart rate goes up, you will be less vulnerable to heart disease and high blood pressure.
5. Reduced Risk of Injury
Like mentioned earlier, kayaking is not a vigorous activity. You can, therefore, be sure that you will not come out of the water with injuries. This is because the moves that you make don’t apply a lot of pressure on your joints. In fact, the only risk that kayakers face is drowning. But that should not be a problem as long as you wear a life jacket. Those who kayak on rivers normally wear a helmet to protect their heads from injuries that result from bumping against hard surfaces such as rocks and trees. 
