You know, there’s a crazy amount of factors contributing to how many calories we burn during a single hour of kayaking. The American Council on Exercise suggests that someone around 180 lbs can torch approximately 408 calories per hour paddling at a moderate speed. Our friends at Harvard Medical School echo this, saying a person weighing 185 lbs can splash away around 420 calories an hour.
Your weight, the effort you’re putting in, and even factors like gender and your body composition all play their parts. But don’t sweat it (or do, because that’s partly why we’re here, right?). You can make sense of all these factors with the aid of a great tool that we have.
You might now be wondering, Why should I trust this calculator? I’ll explain, then. Our calories burned kayaking calculator uses a specialized formula. This means it’s not just ticking off miles and minutes like your everyday calorie calculator. It’s tailored to provide estimates that align with your water sports session, by considering the nuances of kayaking.
Calculator
What is a Calories Burned Kayaking Calculator?
Calories Burned Kayaking Calculator is a tool that estimates the number of calories burned during kayaking. It considers things such as the paddler’s weight, how hard they were paddling, and for how long.
They have a formula for calculating calories burned based on several different factors. Usually, they ask for the kayaker’s weight and how long the trip or activity was. This may be factored in by some calculators and the intensity of the kayaking, such as water speed or type. The estimated calories burned can vary depending on which calculator you use and what inputs are accounted for.
The best use of the calories burned kayaking calculator is for those people who would like to count their burned calories during the paddling activities. They can be beneficial for weight loss or fitness goals as well. But keep in mind these are calculators and not 100% accurate.
What is the Formula For Calculating Calories Burned While Kayaking?
The formula for calculating calories burned while kayaking using the given information is:
Calories burned per minute = (body weight in kg x MET x 3.5) / 200
Body weight is the weight of the person kayaking and should be measured in kilograms.
MET refers to the Metabolic Equivalent of a Task and is representative of the intensity level of the kayaking activity. Its value could range between 5 to 12.5 for kayaking.
3.5 and 200 are constants present in the formula.
For example, if a person weighs 180 lbs, which is about 81.6 Kg, and kayaking has a MET value of 5 (a moderate intensity level), you would calculate:
Calories burned per minute = (81.6 kg x 5 MET x 3.5) / 200 = 7.14 calories per minute
This approach can be extended to calculate calories burned per hour.
For a more challenging kayaking scenario like going upstream, where the MET value may be around 10, the calculation will be:
Calories burned per minute = (81.6 Kg x 10 MET x 3.5) / 200 = 14.28 calories per minute.
How Accurate are Kayaking Calorie Calculators?
Kayaking calorie calculators tend to be somewhat accurate as they primarily operate using the Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET) value of the kayaking activity, which reduces guesswork. When you don’t know the precise MET value of your kayaking session, selecting an option from the provided menu allows the calculator to choose the most relevant one automatically.
However, it’s essential to note that these calculators can only provide rough estimates rather than exact numbers. The accuracy of the calorie burn estimation can be influenced by several factors that aren’t usually considered in the calculator’s formula. These factors can include your age, gender, body composition, as well as variations in your kayaking speed. As of now, no existing scientific formula takes all these factors into account, and we aim to provide reliable information rather than assumptions. Hence, while kayaking calorie calculators offer a good starting point, they might not cover the full complexity of individual calorie burn during kayaking.
What Factors Affect the Number of Calories Burned While Kayaking?
When it comes to kilocalories burnt kayaking many variables come into play. One key variable to consider is the training load. Just like running at a higher speed will consume more calories, swimming with greater effort will also drain more energy from your system.
Duration: The more time you spend kayaking on the water, the more calories you’ll burn, as well as multiplying the calories per minute by the number of minutes in which you’re active.
Body weight: Heavier people burn more calories performing the same activities as leaner people because they’re using more energy to do that same work.
Water Conditions: If you’re paddling in whitewater or into strong headwinds, you’ll have to work harder (i.e., burn more calories).
Technique: With the right technique in place, you could engage these muscles more intensely thus getting a fuller workout, burning more calories than just sitting there not doing anything.
Wind resistance, weather conditions, and heat all can influence the amount of calories burnt.
For determining the calories-burned figure for paddling, a wearable like a Fitbit, smartwatch, or other tracking device, which calculates based on HRM and individual characteristics such as age, gender, and weight, provides the most precise data.
What are the Physical Health Benefits of Kayaking?
Improved Cardiovascular Health: Paddling in a kayak provides an effective workout for your heart. Regular kayaking will raise your heart rate and improve cardio fitness in time. Better blood flow through a healthy cardiovascular system can help reduce high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol levels and decrease the risk for various heart diseases.
Muscle Toning and Increased Strength: As you can imagine, kayaking uses the entire core, back, shoulders, and arm muscles. Constant paddling does a great job of toning these muscles and can lead to increased strength of the muscles over time.
Enhanced Core Strength: Rotating and balancing in kayaking effectively work out the abdominal muscles of our body. It helps you improve your overall balance, and stability, enhance better posture, and strengthen back muscles.
Improved Flexibility and Joint Health: Paddling with a kayak can be quite the task in terms of contortion. This will improve the flexibility of the body in addition to enhancing the range of movement in our joints.
Body Weight Management: Kayaking is a high-calorie burning exercise that can assist with weight management/loss. Calorie-burning of up to 400 calories per hour depends on how fast and intensely you’re paddling.
Enhanced Mental Health: Well worth mentioning, even if it’s not quite a physical perk and I’m not trying to be punny here but it is worth noting that kayaking also offers mental health benefits. Outdoors, essentially, this interaction with nature has been shown through countless studies to reduce cortisol, lower stress, and promote whole-mind health.
Better Vitamin D Levels: Kayaking exposes your body to sunlight which is helpful for vitamin D synthesis – necessary for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, vital for maintaining strong bones.
Can Kayaking Help With Weight Loss?
Weight Loss Aspects of kayaking: The fact is that kayaking has the potential to be very effective for losing weight. It’s a high-impact exercise routine that tones and strengthens muscle groups giving the benefit of both strength training and cardio, all in one workout.
Calorie Burn from Kayaking: Paddling through the waves while you churn burns calories in an exertion-based cardio manner. Kayaking’s intensity level could potentially melt down more than your expected amount of calories and is the cornerstone of losing some pounds with exercise. An average of 300-500 calories an hour is burned on kayaking.
Consistent Kayaking and Weight Loss: Consistent Kayaking leads to Weight Loss. Kayaking is just one way to up your caloric burn and kick start metabolism, which could also see your body shedding weight even on non-kayaking days.
Building Muscle Tone: Kayaking is just awesome for building some upper-body muscle definition. Although it won’t directly impact weight-loss goals, building lean mass can help boost your metabolism, so you burn calories faster even lying down.
Kayaking and Mental Health: Most importantly, kayaking is even good for your mental health! It can lower stress and bolster mood, both of which have been shown to have an oblique influence on weight loss by keeping you upbeat and inspired for long-term weight management.
Healthy Lifestyle Integration: Like all types of workouts, kayaking can enhance fat burning when integrated into a diet that is rich in nutrients, adequate sleep, and sufficient water.
How Can Kayaking Improve Mental Health?
Relaxation and Mindfulness: One of the greatest advantages kayaking provides is creating a peaceful mindset. With their hypnotic beat and gentle movement through water, paddles are calming in their own right perfect for inducing a meditative state on the lake or river. It’s a great way to practice mindfulness where your attention is drawn to the here and now in contrast to all the other worries that life usually brings with it.
Concentration and Focus: Paddleboarding requires a strange combination of awareness and letting go. Navigating the water trails demands environmental awareness, which in turn sharpens focus and concentration. So kayaking may help improve the executive function of the brain leading to better problem solving and higher level decision making.
Stress and Anxiety: According to research, physical exercises including kayaking reduce stress and anxiety. The natural relaxation brought about by being in and around water paired with the ‘feel good’ chemicals released during physical activity helps lower anxiety.
Enhancing Mood with Exercise: Like any form of physical activity, paddling generates endorphins that rush the body’s feel-good neurochemicals. Water workouts may also alleviate symptoms of depression as well as boost happiness levels.
Boost your Self-Confidence: Overcoming the barriers of kayaking such as learning new moves or paddling through tough rapids, can instill a big confidence boost. The acquiring of any new skill, or conquered challenge, builds a sense of value and competence that grows with time.
Psychological breakthrough via conduits to nature the gentle drifting of water is a deep connection with nature. This linkage can give birth to new life, an expanding perspective that brings about tranquility. Nature’s magnitude can be profoundly humbling and restorative.
What are Some Safety Precautions to Take While Kayaking?
Wear a Personal Flotation Device: Just like life vests are mandatory onboard a ship, a personal flotation device or PFD is a must-have while kayaking. Even excellent swimmers can get exhausted or injured and need help from a PFD. Try to find one that fits well and allows you to move your arms freely.
Monitor Weather Conditions: Check out this article about what you should do ahead of time if you plan to travel during the winter months! Avoiding high winds and storms when kayaking which can create dangerous situations in a matter of seconds. Remember that weather conditions may vary at any time so make sure to take caution ahead of time.
Pack the Essential Safety Gear: Essential survival gear includes a first-aid kit, compass/GPS, flashlight, and multitool. They’re all useful when you need them the most, whether you need to navigate, signal for help, or do small repairs.
Dress Appropriately: The correct clothing can make a significant difference in your experience. Choose clothes that are suitable for the water temperature rather than the air temperature. It’s a good idea to wear layers and bring a change of clothes that you can keep dry in a waterproof bag.
Avoid Alcohol or Drugs: Taking intoxicants like alcohol or drugs before or during your kayaking trip can impair your judgment, reaction time, and overall ability to deal with unexpected situations. To keep yourself and others safe, it’s best to stay sober while on the water.
Learn Kayaking and Self-Rescue Techniques: It’s essential to go on a few training sessions before attempting to paddle in strong currents or harsh conditions. You’ll want to learn how to handle the kayak, how to spot potential problems, and how to perform a self-rescue in case you capsize.
Take a Communication Device: Whistles are simple (but highly effective) signaling devices in case of dire situations. If you’re planning a more prolonged trip out of mobile coverage, then get yourself a waterproof mobile or a hand-held VHF Marine Radio.
Use the Buddy System: Never go kayaking alone, especially if you’re a beginner. The buddy system ensures that there’s always someone who can offer immediate assistance or call for help if something goes wrong.
FAQS
How Does a Calories Burned Kayaking Calculator Work?
Kayak calories burned calculator Based on different parameters of body weight, kayaking intensity level for how hard the kayaker has paddled, and time kayaking for, it estimates approximately how many calories are burned while kayaking.
How Many Calories Can You Burn While Kayaking?
Calories burned in kayaking depend on several factors including body weight, level of physical exertion during kayaking, and time spent kayaking. Kayaking burns an estimated 260-560 calories per hour on average.
Is Kayaking a Good Way to Lose Weight?
A calories burned kayaking calculator estimates how many calories you burn whilst kayaking, using variables such as your body weight, the level of kayak effort or intensity, and the period of your session.
How Accurate are Calories Burned Kayaking Calculators?
Caloric expenditure is estimated differently between calculators; hence, the level of precision of the calculator in question could change based on that estimation process. However, as a rough guide, they can help us work out kilojoules burnt through kayaking.
How many calories are burned per minute while kayaking?
At light effort, a 90.8 kg adult male paddler will burn [(2.8 x 90.8 kg x 3.5)/2] / 200 = 4.5 kcal/min. The 77.4-kg (170#) adult woman, kayaking lightly will burn (2.8 times 77.4 kg times 3.5) divided by 200 = 3.7 calories per minute.
Nigel Foster, born in 1952, is an esteemed sea kayaker, known for being the youngest to kayak around Iceland. His journey in kayaking started at 15 in Brighton, England. With a career beginning as a trainee instructor in Sussex, he later pursued teaching after attending Redland College, Bristol.
Foster’s notable expeditions include navigating the challenging waters of Newfoundland and the Hudson Strait. Despite facing intense conditions, his passion for kayaking never waned. He holds several British Canoe Union qualifications and has significantly contributed to the kayaking community through teaching and committee work.
In 1985, Foster expanded his horizons by assisting an expedition in Iceland and later founded his own kayaking business, sharing his expertise globally.