Kayak your way to better health

Paddle your way upstream to better health with a form of exercise that is kind to your joints, relaxing, yet a great workout at the same time! It may only take a day to learn basic kayaking skills, but once you master them, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of health benefits.

Kayaking can be a social activity or solo, strenuous or relaxing, or last a few hours to a few days if you plan a trip. Either way, it’s one of the best forms of exercise to lose weight, tone up or release stress.

Kayak at a pace of 5mph and you’ll burn an average of 400 calories per hour. Three hours of kayaking and you’ll have burned over 1,200 calories – giving you plenty of wiggle room if you’re trying to lose weight.

On average you can expect to paddle about 500 strokes per mile. With proper form in executing your strokes you can work almost all the muscle groups in your upper body and even some in your lower body as well. At our previous pace of 5mph, you get in a whopping 2,500 strokes, that’s way more repetitions than you could ever do at the gym.

Stress reduction is another benefit of kayaking. Not only is being outdoors refreshing and peaceful, but the repetitive stroking motions can be very soothing. It’s easy to clear your mind and relax as you focus on the beautiful surroundings on the bank of the Saluda River. You’ll also get a huge sense of accomplishment when you finish!

Try kayaking today and let the trained outfitters at Saluda River Club get you started down the river to good health!