How Many Calories Does Kayaking Burn? (Get the Facts Here)

Kayaking is an excellent way to stay fit and healthy. These days, more and more people are turning to kayaking as a way to get in shape and burn calories. While other forms of exercise may be better for building strength, kayaking is an effective cardio workout with numerous health benefits.

When it comes to burning calories, kayaking is a great option for those looking for a low-impact workout. In this blog post, we will discuss the topic “How many calories does kayaking burn” and also cover other topics. So, let’s get started!

What Is A Calorie?

Before we get into the details about how many calories kayaking burns, it’s important to understand what a calorie is. A calorie is a unit of measurement for the energy value of food. We need calories to fuel our daily activities – from simple breathing to intense exercise.

When we eat more calories than what our body needs, this causes weight gain, which may lead to health problems. How many calories your body needs is affected by age, gender, physical activity level, and body size.

How Many Calories Does Kayaking Burn?

Kayaking can be an intense workout, depending on the speed and duration of your kayak session. We can give a rough idea of a number of calories you can burn while kayaking, but the actual number actually depends on various factors as follows:

• Sex: The rate of calories burned will vary depending on the sex of the kayaker. Generally, men tend to burn more calories than women due to their higher average muscle mass.
• Age: Younger people usually burn more calories than older kayakers due to their higher average metabolic rates. When you exercise in old age, you start to lose muscle rather than fat, which reduces the number of calories burned.
• Weight: Generally, heavier individuals will burn more calories during a kayaking session than lighter individuals. The heavier you are, the more calories you burn.
• Body Composition: Talking about body composition, people with higher amounts of lean muscle mass will burn more calories than those with lower amounts.
• Exercise Duration: It is very clear from the word duration that the number of calories burned will vary depending on how long you exercise. The longer you work out, the greater the caloric burn.
• Exercise Intensity: The intensity of kayaking will also affect how many calories are burned. The higher the intensity, the more calories are burned.

It is difficult to estimate the exact number of calories burned per hour when kayaking, but the average person burns 375 – 475 calories per hour kayaking. The person weighs around 200 pounds and burns approx. 477 calories per hour kayaking with moderate efforts and a person weighs around 125 pounds and burns approx. 283 calories per hour kayaking.

How To Calculate Calories Burned While Kayaking?

This is a very simple formula that helps you calculate the calories burned while kayaking:

Calories Burned Per Minute = (MET x Body Weight(Kg) x 3.5) /200

Where MET stands for the metabolic equivalent of task and it varies depending on the intensity of kayaking. For example, if a person weighs 68 kg and does kayaking at a moderate level for one hour and MET is 5(Approx. MET at a moderate level) then,

Calories Burned Per Minute = (5 x 68kg x 3.5) / 200

Calories Burned Per Minute = 11.7 Calories Burned Per Minute

Therefore, the total number of calories burned while kayaking for one hour is approximately 700 calories.

Formula For How Many Calories Burned In An Hour Of Kayaking?

The formula for calculating the number of calories burned in an hour of kayaking is as follows:

Calories Burned Per Hour = (MET x Body Weight(Kg) x 3.5) /200 x 60 minutes

Therefore, the total number of calories burned while kayaking for one hour is determined by multiplying MET, body weight, and 3.5 with 60 minutes.

Formula For How Many Calories Burned Per Mile Of Kayaking?

The formula for calculating the number of calories burned per mile while kayaking is as follows:

Calories Burned Per Mile = (MET x Body Weight(Kg) x 3.5) /200 x 60 minutes / Distance Covered(in Miles)

Therefore, the total number of calories burned while kayaking for one mile is determined by multiplying MET, body weight, and 3.5 with 60 minutes and then dividing it by the distance covered in miles.

Calories Burned With Kayaking And Other Activities 

Apart from kayaking, there are many other activities that can help you burn calories. We will compare the estimated values of calories burned with kayaking and other activities. The following shows the calories burned in one hour of kayaking and other activities based on weight and intensity and body composition:

1. Person average weight of 160 pounds burns calories per hour in different activities, approximate values as follows:

• Kayaking: 438 calories
• Cycling: 292 calories
• Running/Jogging: 606 calories
• Swimming: 423 calories
• Walking: 204 calories
• Yoga: 183 calories

2. Person average weight of 200 pounds burns calories per hour in different activities, approximate values as follows:

• Kayaking: 548 calories
• Cycling: 364 calories
• Running/Jogging: 755 calories
• Swimming: 528 calories
• Walking: 255 calories
• Yoga: 228 calories

3. Person average weight of 240 pounds burns calories per hour in different activities, approximate values as follows:

• Kayaking: 658 calories
• Cycling: 436 calories
• Running/Jogging: 905 calories
• Swimming: 632 calories
• Walking: 305 calories
• Yoga: 273 calories

These values will also vary based on the intensity at which you are doing these activities. For example, running/jogging and cycling can burn more calories when done at a higher intensity than walking or yoga. Similarly, kayaking is more beneficial if done with greater effort and power.

Is Kayaking A Good Cardio Exercise?

Kayaking can be very beneficial as a cardio exercise. However, it is also important to understand that kayaking is an activity of repetitive motion. This means that it engages the entire body, from your back and abs to your legs and glutes, chest, and shoulder muscles.

It is also a great cardio exercise as it increases heart rate and helps with calorie burning. The amount of calories burned while kayaking depends on the intensity at which you are paddling. Therefore, kayaking can be a great way to get in shape, lose weight, and increase your cardiovascular endurance if done regularly.

Tips To Burn More Calories With Kayaking

As now you know how many calories kayaking burns per hour, here are some tips to burn more calories with kayaking:

1. Use the Proper Technique

The most important tip to burn more calories with kayaking is to make sure that you are using the correct technique. A proper paddling technique helps you engage relevant muscle groups and reduce fatigue and injury risk. When done correctly, each movement should be felt in your core muscles, upper body muscles, and legs. This helps you build power in your strokes, which leads to more calories burned.

2. Kayaking In Challenging Waters

If you want to burn more calories by kayaking, paddling in challenging waters is a great option. This includes paddling against strong currents or wind and maneuvering through tight turns or areas with rocky terrain. Paddling in rough waters requires a lot of effort, which will result in more calories being burned. It also requires you to engage your muscles and power through the water at faster speeds. The faster you paddle, the more calories you will burn.

3. Add Weight To Your Kayak

If you want to burn more calories by kayaking, adding weight to your kayak is a great option. Adding weights will require you to make more effort to paddle and will help you burn more calories. The more weight you add, the more effort you have to make to paddle, which will result in more calories being burned.

4. Kayak Upstream

Paddling upstream is a great way to burn more calories with kayaking. As mentioned earlier, kayaking downstream still burns calories but paddling upstream will take it to the next level. It is more difficult to paddle through and requires more power and energy when paddling upstream.

This means that you will be burning more calories in the same amount of time. So, if you want to maximize your calorie-burning efforts, kayaking upstream is a great option.

5. Long Distance Travelling

If you want to burn a lot of calories by kayaking, then long-distance traveling is the way to go. Long-distance paddling requires more endurance and will help you build muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness. A longer period of time paddling also means that you will be burning more calories in total. So, if calorie burning is your goal, then investing in a long-distance kayaking trip can help you achieve it.

Benefits of Kayaking: An Overview

There are many benefits of kayaking, from improved cardiovascular health to strengthened muscles. Kayaking can also help you improve your balance, coordination, and overall fitness. Here is an overview of some of the top benefits of kayaking:

• Improved Cardiovascular Health: Kayaking is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular exercise increases your heart rate and breathing rate for 10 minutes or more, which helps strengthen the heart and lungs. The more you paddle, the better your heart and lungs become.
• Strengthened Muscles: The main muscles used in kayaking are the upper body, back, and core. Paddling requires arm strength and endurance, as well as core stability to help maintain a good posture. Kayaking strengthens these important muscles, which can improve your overall fitness.
• Weight Loss: Kayaking is an excellent way to lose weight. Paddling helps you burn calories, while at the same time, it strengthening your muscles as mentioned above. For maximum benefits, try to paddle more and faster to lose weight.
• Reduce Stress: These days, many people are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. By kayaking, you can reduce your stress levels. Kayaking can help to relax and clear your mind, allowing you to enjoy some quality time in nature.
• Better Sleep: Sleeping can be difficult when you have a lot of stress or physical discomfort. When your body has been active during the day, it can help you get better sleep. If you do kayaking, you will likely have a better sleep since your body has been physically active.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Words

In this blog post “How many calories does kayaking burn”, we have discussed the calories burn formula, tips to burn more calories while kayaking, benefits of kayaking, etc. If you want to burn more calories and improve your overall fitness, kayaking is an excellent way to do so.

We hope that this article has been helpful to you and that you are now more informed about the health benefits of kayaking. The physical and mental benefits of the sport are sure to make it an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Thank You. Happy paddling!