Inflatable Kayak Blog

May is National Fitness Month. So I encourage all you paddlers to get out and enjoy the fresh air and get some exercise. Of course, dipping the kayak paddle into the water isn’t the only fun fitness activity. There are others. In fact it’s even better if your sources of exercise vary a little just to keep all your muscles in good shape. Here’s a few exercise “facts” for fitness month.

You may have heard the line: If you can’t exercise hard and often, there is really no point. But that’s not the truth. Even moderate activity is shown to reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. If you don’t have 30 minutes in your day to exercise, try splitting it up into 10-minute segments.

The most important factor in exercise and weight control is not the percentage of fat calories burned, but the total calories burned during the activity. The faster you paddle, walk or swim, for example the more calories you use per minute. Although you will be burning fewer “fat calories”, you will be burning more total calories and in turn will lose more weight.
 
And finally we have all heard someone tell us “No Pain, No Gain!” That’s not true either! Exercise should not be painful. At the height of your workout, you should be sweating and breathing hard. You should not be so out of breath that you cannot answer a question, but should not be so comfortable that you can carry on a full conversation. It is important to distinguish between muscle fatigue (feeling “the burn”) and muscle/joint pain (sharp and uncomfortable pain during movement). Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you’re doing something wrong. Listen to your body and if it’s painful, stop!

So, take advantage of the nice spring weather and get outside and get some exercise. If you are not in the best physical shape, take this time to fit more exercise into your schedule and start on the road to being fit for life.