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KAYAKING

For summers in the south, enjoying time out on the water is a must. Nothing beats getting out on the lake or 'yaking down a nice cool river on a Saturday morning. Kayaking is one of those activities or sports that is similar to hiking in that it can be either very difficult or an easy ride. Of course with this sport, it is going to require solely upper extremity and core strength, however, you do tend to use your lower extremities for balance and stability getting in and staying in your 'yak.  

RUNES FOR KAYAKING

Image by roya ann miller
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SURVIVAL

Another word that represents this rune is endurance. For the most part, when enjoying this activity you will be out on the river or lake for several hours. This will require a good bit of upper extremity endurance with pulling and rowing type motions. 

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LEADERSHIP

Similar to my hiking page, kayaking is one of those activities that you will need to prepare beforehand. Map out your river, and know where your drop in/drop out points are located. 

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Honor

Never travel the river or lake alone. The water is not to be trifled with especially if you are navigating rapids. Even when going down a simple river, it can still be relatively easy to capsize your kayak. 

Image by Benjamin Davies

Preparation for Kayaking

As mentioned above, kayaking is a predominantly upper body sport. It will be important to focus on the exercises listed, but this should not entirely encompass your training regiment. 

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  1. Begin with a Dynamic Warm-up.

    • 5 min on the bike/elliptical/treadmill​

    • High knees, butt kickers, A/B skips, lateral shuffles, jogging

    • Arm hugs, stir the pot, arm circles

  2. Perform your exercises. 

    • With endurance in mind - low weight and high repetitions. ​

    • Minimal rest between sets and exercises. 

  3. Finish with static stretching. 

    • Upper extremity flexibility is key in order to pull and propel yourself in the water.

Single Arm Endurance
  • Single-Arm Rows

  • Overhead Press

  • Chest Flys

  • Shoulder Retraction with External Rotation

Upper Extremity Power
  • Wide/Close Grip Rows

  • Lat Pull-Downs

  • Bench Press

  • Curl-to-Press

Core Strength
  • Pallof Press

  • Russian Twists

  • Oblique Crunches

  • Chops

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