In this section:
Why Do We Paddle?
Members of North Avon Canoe Club gave many and varied answers
For fun exercise
For excitement and challenge
For the company
I love the coast
For fun with my kids
For relaxation and headspace
Paddling has many physical and mental benefits; here are just some of them:
- Doing regular cardiovascular physical activity is healthy.
- Paddling improves core strength, balance and stability.
- Spending time in “blue spaces” in, on or near water is calming and can increase mental wellbeing. It can boost your mood and help tackle depression and anxiety.
- Paddling means you can enjoy both blue and green spaces – double benefits!
- It’s a social activity. The US Government Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says “People are by nature social creatures. Social connections are important for our survival. Our relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and community members can have a major impact on our health and well-being.” (see here emotional wellbeing)
One of our younger members, Libby, has a few things to say about why she paddles and you can also take a look at her in action.
Physical Benefits
Doing regular cardiovascular physical activity is healthy.
Paddling improves core strength, balance and stability.
Canoeing and kayaking are low impact activities that can improve your aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. Specific health benefits include:
- Improved cardiovascular fitness
- Increased muscle strength, particularly in the back, arms, shoulders and chest, from moving the paddle
- Increased torso and leg strength, as the strength to power a canoe or kayak comes mainly from rotating the torso and applying pressure with your legs
- Reduced risk of wear-and-tear on joints and tissues, since paddling is a low impact activity.
- Age is no barrier to paddlesports. NACC has members from young children to people in their 70s
- You can start at any age, we have members who learned to paddle in retirement.
- Canoeing can be as leisurely or strenuous as you wish and can accommodate a variety of physical health issues
A 2021 Environment Agency study found that
“…studies have found that being close to the water increases the likelihood of exercise, which in turn, contributes towards the prevention of cardiovascular illnesses, obesity and cancer.”
Mental Wellbeing
NACC members say
“Paddling helps to de-stress and, on a good day, takes my mind off all day-to-day life and immerse myself in nature.”
Sometimes I am stressed because of work and life, but when I get on the water my worries seem much further away and I feel calm.
I paddle for my well-being, physical and mental, for the friendship and because it’s fun
For my sanity’s sake
“The concentration I need on white water means I have to switch off totally from my work. It’s the only time I totally truly do that.”
The BBC Future Planet reported that
“… loss of human-nature interaction has been linked to a rising tide of mental health disorders. A growing body of evidence indicates that human health, both mental and physical, is intrinsically linked to nature.
Just looking at natural scenery has been found to cause rapid beneficial psychological and physiological changes in salivary cortisol, blood flow, blood pressure and brain activity. Meanwhile, contact with microbes in the environment can train our immune systems, reinforcing the good microbial communities on our skin and in our airways and guts.
But many experts now believe blue spaces, such as lakes and rivers, could be even more beneficial than green ones.
“Blue spaces provide us with distractions that take our mind away from the day-to-day hassles of life,” says Kate Campbell, a health psychology researcher at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. “The sound of the crashing waves, the smell of salty air, the crunching of sand beneath our toes…The sensations relax our bodies and tell our minds to switch off.”
Social Interaction
Paddling is a sociable activity and provides opportunities to meet people and make friends.
I have made so many good friends within my club.
Learning new skills is fun, satisfying and can improve confidence.
Paddling has given me lots of goals to aim for and I feel good when I achieve them.
I love adventure and paddling allows me to get to remote places that few people visit
Paddling allows me to see the world from a different perspective, for example seeing a city from the water or beautiful steep sea cliffs from the bottom rather than the coastal path
Health Benefits of Social Connectedness
People with stronger social bonds have a 50% increased likelihood of survival than those who have fewer social connections.
Social connections can help prevent serious illness and outcomes, like:
- Heart disease.
- Stroke.
- Dementia.
- Depression and anxiety.
Social connections with others can help:
- Improve your ability to recover from stress, anxiety and depression.
- Promote healthy eating, physical activity and weight.
- Improve sleep, well-being and quality of life.
- Reduce your risk of violent and suicidal behaviours.
- Prevent death from chronic diseases.
