Kayak Exercises

Kayaking requires immense strength from your back, arms, and core muscles. Doing strength training exercises for core and upper body out of the water will improve your kayaking ability. You'll increase strength and endurance as well as burn calories.

  1. Core Strength

    • Because kayaking uses your muscles together in a dynamic environment, using free weights and body weight exercises will prepare you better for kayaking than using exercise machines. Machines isolate your muscles in a stable environment, which is not at all like the movements you'll experience while kayaking. A great way to build core strength and also work your upper body together is to focus on core exercises that incorporate free weight exercises.

      One exercise to start with is a Floor Pull Over with kettlebells, though you can also use dumbbells. Lie on your back and extend your legs six inches off the floor. This will activate your core. Hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in each hand and extend your arms straight in the air above your shoulders. Bend your elbows slightly but keep your arms mostly straight. Bring your arms straight back toward the floor, but do not touch. Squeeze the muscles in your back and pull the bell back up over your shoulders. Keep the rest of your body as still as possible to challenge your core. This exercise is especially helpful for kayakers because it works the same muscles of the lats in the back that are the primary movers for kayaking, but in a different motion. This way you will build stronger lats and still be able to use them for kayaking. Do 10 reps and work up to three sets of 15. You can also do chest presses from this position to work your core and upper body.

    Pull-Ups

    • Pull-ups are an amazing body weight exercise for your lats, shoulders, arms, forearms, core, and grip strength. Strengthening these muscles will give you the power to increase the speed and endurance when kayaking. If you cannot do a pull-up on your own, check out your gym for assisted pull-up machines that allow you to lift a portion of your body weight. Otherwise, use a pull-up bar. Grab the bar with your palms facing away from you and bend your elbows, lifting your entire body off the ground until your head clears the bar. Try not to swing or use momentum. Do as many as you can and work up to three sets of 10.

    Single-Leg Squat Rolls

    • This exercise really challenges your core as you stand on one leg and move from a standing to a ground position, and back up again. It also will build leg strength, which will be particularly useful for kayakers who are into the popular trend of pedal kayaks. Stand on your right leg and hold a kettlebell or medicine ball in both hands in front of your sternum. Squat as low as you can toward the floor and roll onto your back. Do not roll up onto your neck. Roll back forward and stand back up on your right leg. Do 10 reps and then repeat on your left leg. Work up to three sets.