Water sports are more popular than ever. During the Covid lockdowns, those outdoor sports came into their own. Lakes, rivers and the ocean were not closed and they were somewhere you could go to exercise while maintaining a distance if necessary.
Perhaps you’ve seen pictures on social media of friends and family getting into a new watersport during this time. Many of us have! It looks like a lot of fun, everyone is invariably smiling and looking healthier than ever. So if you’ve been thinking it’s time to get involved but you’re still holding back, here are 8 good reasons to get started now.
There are many different types of watersports – from cold-water swimming to paddle boarding, rowing, wind-surfing, and kayaking – and they can improve your physical health massively.
If you are interested in taking up water sports, then this post has you covered. This article will tell you about all of the most important health benefits that you can get from pursuing water sports.
Enjoying Yourself
Water sports can be a very good way of enjoying yourself and occupying your time. Too much of our time these days is spent in solitary, static activities such as scrolling on our phones or using computers. Getting outdoors and taking up a water sport, like kayaking for example, will help you to improve your physical and mental health while entertaining you. According to the experts from watersportswhiz.com, kayaking is a great sport because it’s easy to learn and very affordable. However, if kayaking doesn’t appeal to you, then find a sport that does.
Physical Health
No matter what water sport you take up, it’ll improve your health. You should always be trying to think of ways to improve your physical health. A good diet on its own isn’t enough to keep you in good health, you also need to work your body’s muscles out.
Swimming tones your whole body, while cold-water swimming additionally improves circulation, reduces stress, and boosts your immune system. Intense water sports, like rowing or kayaking, can build upper body strength and stamina, and improve your overall fitness.
Mental health
There is a mental health epidemic at the moment. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, a staggeringly large number of young people developed mental health problems. Many of these problems have not yet been resolved. If you are suffering from some kind of mental health issue, then getting outdoors and taking up a sport could be a good way of improving your condition and overall health. In particular, sports that involve getting out in nature, like canoeing, have a greater impact on positive mental health – you get the benefit of both exercise and nature. You could also take up a team sport. Team sports can be a good way of improving your mental and physical health, in addition to helping you to make friends.
Improving Appearance
When you exercise often, sooner or later you’ll start looking stronger and more muscular. It often takes around two months before you start seeing a noticeable improvement in the way you look. In addition to water sports, you may also want to go to the gym. Going to the gym can be an extremely effective way of improving your appearance. The only downside to the gym is that it can be expensive to sign up for. If you are on a budget, there are lots of fantastic exercise programmes available on youtube for free.
Making Friends
Joining a water sports team, like a rowing club, could be an effective way of making new friends. If you want to make new friends, then be open, polite, and confident. If you have a genuine interest in the sport you’re taking up, you’ll make friends who share your passion in no time.
Experiencing Nature
Studies show that people who’re exposed to nature on a regular basis are significantly less likely to experience mental illness. If you suffer from anxiety or depression and do not get outside much, then now’s the time to make a change. Experiencing nature can help you to improve your mental health. It can also help you to learn new skills and pick up new hobbies. In addition to water sports, hiking and rambling can be good ways of getting out and experiencing nature.
Learning Skills
Water sports can help you to learn new skills. Some water sports are very complex, like surfing. If you’re looking for a challenging water sport, then surfing is definitely a sport that’s worth looking into. The only downside to surfing is that it’s only something you can do in the ocean. Windsurfing is an alternative that you can practice on lakes with watersports zones. It isn’t as difficult to master and relies primarily on balance.
Positive Attitude
A positive attitude to life is an important thing to cultivate. Sadly, in today’s society, very few people actually have a positive outlook on life. Getting out and experiencing nature can be a very effective way of improving the way that you see the world and how happy it makes you.
Water sports can be an extremely effective way of improving your health, mentally and physically. As mentioned here in this post, there are different types of water sports you can take up. Do your research and find the one that interests you most.