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Justin Baker

4 Arm Exercises That’ll Help You Feel Stronger While Kayaking

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We found this great article from Popsugar.com you might like by Victoria Moorhouse

Kayaking can be such a serene summer activity — the sights and sounds of the rippling water and the warm sunshine touching down on my shoulders transport me to a much calmer state.

On the flip side, kayaking is also really, really challenging. The constant paddling to propel the boat through the water makes my arms feel like jelly — as you can imagine, lifting the kayak into the back of my dad’s truck is quite a feat afterward. But I’m tired of cutting my kayak sessions short because I’m feeling the burn, so I’m tweaking my at-home workout routine and adding in arm exercises that’ll help me feel stronger in my paddle strokes.

“In order to get the most out of your kayaking experience and to ensure you can get through whatever the water may throw at you, you will want to make sure that your upper body, as well as your core, is strong to withstand the balancing act that is required!” Annie Mulgrew, an NASM-certified personal trainer instructor, says.

“With each stroke, your body is working to maintain stability, so adding strength training to your workout routine that focuses on your core muscles — especially your obliques — as well as your upper body, as mentioned before, will make you a stronger kayaker!”

In fact, Mulgrew says the sport also requires the use of muscles in the upper back, shoulders, your chest, and your biceps and triceps. You can start boosting your kayaking stroke strength with this short workout curated by Mulgrew.

Do each of these exercises for 12-15 reps using medium weights. This entire circuit can be done for 3-5 rounds. Rest about 60-90 seconds between rounds.