I just came back from a kayaking "meeting" (I love my job!) and I can't imagine a better all over workout. It beats the monotony of the gym, gets you outside in the fresh air, and is a great mood adjuster. I have always been a little afraid of kayaking, because they feel really unstable, and I had the feeling that if you tipped over, you would be trapped underneath the boat. But at the end of the trip, we stayed near the dock and took turns tipping, and pulling ourselves up to the surface. That did alot to release my tension over tipping accidentally.

I also learned how to climb back on the kayak while it was in the water. Whew! That takes quite an effort. We decided to paddle back with one person sitting on the bow, and one on the stern, instead of getting back inside the kayak. That worked every leg muscle I had to keep from tipping. What fun! Something I was so intimidated by that I almost made excuses and cancelled - opened up a part of my life and built a new confidence.

In my book, that beats the gym any day!

Cassidy

"Don’t let it end like this. Tell them I said something."
- Pancho Villa (1877-1923), last words

Cassidy.......

I'm with you!! I LOVE kayaking. Though I've only done it twice, I hope to eventually make it more regular part of my life. The first time I did it, I went out for three hours with a couple of friends and an instructor. "Got my feet wet" so to speak.

The second time, I did an overnight trip off of the west coast of Vancouver Island (next stop Hawaii......LOL) and this trip was a beginners trip with all kinds of instruction included. We did "wet exits".....learning how to get out when flipped upside down.....and self recovery as well. We also learned to read the water (tides) and weather as well as charts. It was fun and exciting and I was very very grateful for the sauna at the cabin where we stayed overnight.

I met a woman who had done a two-week kayaking trip around the Queen Charlotte Islands (about half way up the coast between Washington State and Alaska) and she told me that she "only cried twice"!! Sounds like it was a gruelling trip for her, but she was very proud of herself for having accomplished it!

I know exactly what you mean about the new level of confidence. It feels great to challenge ourselves and to succeed like this.

YES!! Kayaking is great exercise and great fun too!!

Marlaine