Living Well They must have been borrowing someone else's qajaq – or "kayak"...
That's what the Inuit people say when someone has died while kayak hunting in the icy waters surrounding Alaska, Canada, and Greenland.
That's because the Inuit use made-to-fit kayaks, which are almost like an extension of their bodies.
Inuit were born to be outside, says Inuit hunter Derrick Pottle...
My earliest memories of growing up with my family was connected to the land. Using dog teams, skin tents, kayaks. You lived on the land. You took what you needed... Our culture has to be practiced in order to be strong.
For centuries, Inuit people have used kayaks for everything from travel to hunting. And, today, people around the world enjoy kayaking as a watersport.
Modern kayaks are light and portable, and some can even disassemble and fit into a backpack. This makes them not only convenient but also versatile, allowing them to be carried to access waterways that larger vessels wouldn't be able to reach.
Paddling a kayak through the water is a great workout to help you tone your muscles and improve your range of motion...
Researchers from the Dow University of Health Sciences in Pakistan examined the spinal range-of-motion benefits of kayaking on a group of 48 adults, aged 35 to 65, with early to mid-stage Parkinson's disease. Spinal rigidity is a hallmark symptom of Parkinson's disease.
The researchers split the participants into two groups. The participants in group A performed "big, flowing" kayaking exercises involving the whole body, and the participants in group B performed strength training and core-stabilizing exercises. Each exercise session lasted 75 minutes. The sessions were done six days a week, and the experiment lasted for four weeks.
The researchers found that after four weeks, both groups had improved range of motion. However, the kayaking exercises were slightly more beneficial, on average.
I've heard from lots of readers over the years who say they can't get a lot of walking in due to various knee and joint issues. Kayaking could be a less joint-stressful activity instead...
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, kayaking can either be done as a "moderate" or "vigorous" intensity activity, requiring three to six metabolic equivalents ("METs") of energy, or more than six, respectively. For reference, one MET is the amount of energy it takes to sit quietly. Walking down a hill is considered a moderate-intensity activity and walking briskly up a hill is considered a vigorous-intensity activity. Kayaking burns similar amounts of energy as walking.
So get out there and give kayaking a try. If you're new to kayaking, try taking a class. Outdoor-sports retailer REI is one place that offers them. REI will also let you rent equipment from them, so you don't have to worry about buying or storing your own equipment.
Kayaking is a fun activity with great health benefits and a long history.
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What We're Reading...
- A short film by National Geographic: Keeping the Inuit Way of Life Alive in a Changing World.
- Something different: Where do the colors in outer-space images come from?
Here's to our health, wealth, and a great retirement,
Dr. David Eifrig and the Health & Wealth Bulletin Research Team
April 30, 2024