Kayaking is a very popular water sport that’s enjoyed all around the world. It can be enjoyed inland on rivers and canals, and out at sea. Everybody knows that kayaking is good for physical health, but something that a lot of people don’t know about kayaking is that it is extremely good for one’s mental health too. If you are considering taking up kayaking because you want to enjoy the health benefits that come along with it, here are some of the benefits that you can expect to derive from it, mentally and physically.
Affordability
At the moment, there is a cost of living crisis. This is due to the fact that Covid-19 had put a lot of strain on the economy, and then the Russian-Ukraine war disturbed international gas and food supplies, making things worse. Sport is good for you no matter what it is, but some can be very expensive. Kayaking isn’t one of them. According to the kayaking enthusiasts from watersportswhiz.com/best-budget-kayak, there are multiple budget kayaks that you can purchase. The additional equipment that you need to take up kayaking is also very affordable.
Stress relief
Because of the cost of living crisis, it’s fair to say that things are very stressful at the moment. A sport like kayaking can help you to get stress relief because it gives you the ability to focus on something and spend your physical energy. By the time you return from a long kayaking trip, you won’t want to think about anything other than getting into bed and going to sleep. Because the sport’s so tiresome and requires a lot of energy (at times), it helps you to overcome stress.
Confidence boost
Learning new things always makes learners more confident, even if it’s just in the thing that they are learning. If you suffer from confidence issues, then kayaking is a great way to overcome them. The reason that kayaking’s so good for building confidence is that it gets you outdoors, builds your physical strength, and puts you in direct contact with new people. Most people join kayaking clubs when they first take up the sport, although you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Even if you don’t join a club, you will still inevitably meet other kayakers on the water.
Sleep better
If you suffer from sleep problems (as many of the world’s population does thanks to modern technology), then kayaking can help you to get a better night’s sleep. As mentioned earlier, kayaking will cause you to spend all of your energy. By the time you return from a kayaking trip, you won’t want to do anything other than sleep. If you want to take up a sport that’s intense and sure to exhaust you, then kayaking’s what you’re looking for. A better night’s sleep can help you to overcome anxiety and depression, as well as other mental health problems.
Improve your learning skills
If you like learning new things, then kayaking’s worth taking up. Despite how simple the sport might look, it is actually very technical. There is a lot that you need to learn if you want to become an expert kayaker. Learning new things is good for your mental health and encourages further learning. Once you have mastered kayaking, there’s a very strong chance that you will want to go on and learn other sports.
Exploring nature
As mentioned previously, when you are kayaking, you are outdoors and learn about nature. If you have lived in a city for your entire life, then there’s a lot for you to learn about, from the different birdsongs to the fish that you will inevitably encounter. If you are interested in fish, then you could even go fishing. It’s possible to take a fishing rod with you on your kayaking trips. A lot of people practise kayak fishing. You do need to make sure that you have a large kayak if you are going to go fishing, otherwise, you will have nowhere to place your unhooking mat.
Meet people
Kayaking helps you to meet new people. As previously stated, a lot of people join clubs when they are first learning to kayak. You don’t have to join a club if you don’t want to but it is a very good idea to do it. A kayaking club will put you in contact with other people, like you, that enjoy kayaking. In addition to giving you a new circle of friends interested in the same things as you, a kayaking club will also give you the opportunity to learn from other experts and master kayaking.
Physical exercise
At its most basic level, kayaking is just a good form of physical exercise. A lot of people, due to the fact that they work from offices or home, seldom find the time to exercise. The types of exercise that they do find the time to do tend to be things like weightlifting, which is good for you, but should be complemented by other forms of exercise. Kayaking works out a lot of different muscle groups in your body. Another good thing about kayaking is that you’re able to practise it on your own, without other people. A lot of people find that performing exercises in front of other people makes them nervous.
Overcome anxiety
Kayaking can help you to beat your anxiety, because of all of the reasons that we have already outlined. Anxiety is the most common mental health condition in the entire United States. If you have been suffering from it, then kayaking could be for you. One of the main ways that kayaking helps to beat anxiety is because it puts people outdoors in nature, and nature can be very therapeutic. A lot of people find that just going outdoors helps them to beat their anxiety.
If you are looking for a sport with a lot of mental and physical health benefits, then kayaking’s for you. Not only is kayaking an affordable sport to take up, but it is also a lot of fun. You can practice it wherever you live, as long as there are bodies of water nearby.
