It can be difficult to find the motivation to do any kind of exercise, especially when the only distraction offered is music or television. But living right on the River Corrib, facilities for watersports are all around us, offering fun and exciting ways to keep fit. Marie Madden reports on the benefits of taking to the water

As well as being a lot more interesting than an hour on the treadmill, there are a lot of health benefits associated with water sports. Water has several properties that make aquatic exercise safer and more enjoyable than similar land-based programs.

Water provides both buoyancy and support for your body. When you are up to your neck in water, you only need to support ten per cent of your body's weight. When exercising in the water at waist level, you need only support 50 per cent of your body's weight. The jarring and pounding of body joints, bones and muscles that can occur with other land exercises is greatly reduced in the water and you are less likely to experience aches and soreness following a workout.

Water provides more resistance than air because of its increased density. This increased resistance also helps to promote better muscular endurance and tone, meaning you will see quicker results when exercising in the water, compared with the same exercise routine on land. If you have a history of weak joints, water exercise is perfect, as it can improve flexibility without causing undue pressure to joints. And due to the lessened effects of gravity in the water, the joints can more easily be moved through a wider range of motion. This helps to improve long-term flexibility and is especially beneficial as we age.

So if you're convinced of the benefits of water sports, the next step is to choose the one that is right for you. Kayaking is a great option for overall body toning, weight loss, strength, flexibility and stress reduction. When paddling, you can expect to do about 500 forward strokes per mile, which means that this is great exercise for toning those upper arms. Even though you are sitting down, this is still great cardio vascular exercise, so it will keep your heart happy as well!

Swimming is one of the most popular water sports and for good reason. Swimming works your whole body, improving cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength, endurance, posture, and flexibility all at the same time. Your cardiovascular system in particular also benefits because swimming improves your body's use of oxygen without overworking your heart. Swimming also works great as part of a weight loss program, as you can burn anything from 236 to 863 calories in an hour, depending on your weight and the intensity of your routine.

Sailing is another sport that combines great fun with great exercise, whether it's competition sailing or wind surfing that floats your boat! Wind surfing has experienced a huge boost in popularity in recent times. This surface water sport uses a board usually between two to five metres, which is powered by a single sail. The sport combines aspects of both sailing and surfing, along with certain athletic aspects shared with other board sports like skateboarding, snowboarding, waterskiing, wakeboarding and kite surfing. The easiest way to get into windsurfing is to take lessons from a qualified instructor. So if you fancy giving it ago, why not try this great offer. For a limited time, if you spend €100 at any I Supply store, you get €20 off an introductory windsurfing lesson with Rusheen Bay Windsurfing.

So, whether it's weight loss, toning or just a bit of craic you are after get off that couch and get outside.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment