Water sports and their benefits: Intro
All water sports such as sailing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, paddle surfing and others, provide "extra" benefits compared to other sports that are not practiced in the water.
Health experts recommend exercise to keep fit, explaining the benefits of sport from an early age. Sport brings physical and mental benefits, depending on what kind of sport you practice you get some or others.
Water sports and their physical and mental benefits
The benefits of water and water sports are different from those of running or cycling for example. Since these sports are practiced in an open natural environment where you are exposed to the sun and the sea, your body will produce more vitamin D which will help you maintain a higher level of calcium and phosphorus.
Another benefit of water and nautical sports is that, being in contact with the water produces a salt therapy effect, which means that you will fill your skin with natural minerals, breathe the sea breeze which is beneficial for the respiratory system as it helps to open the nostrils. The sea also stimulates positivity and increases the energy level.
Whether you prefer traditional water sports, board water sports or extreme water sports, we have a list of 6 different water sports and the physical and mental benefits they bring.
6 water sports and their benefits
Benefits of sport sailing
Sailing is a nautical sport that consists of overseeing the active of a boat driven only by the wind. Sailing, as a sport, can be recreational or competitive. Sailing competitions are known as regattas.
Physical benefits of sailing as a sport
Sailing helps to tone your muscles and strengthen your body, strengthens the cardiovascular system, improves balance and promotes teamwork (as long as it is a team category and not an individual one).
Mental benefits of sport sailing
Doing activities in the sea encourages responsibility for the environment, produces an increase in self-esteem by getting to know the environment and develops a sense of concentration and coordination of movements.
Benefits of Windsurfing
The windsurf is practiced at sea with a board and an embedded sail. At first it may seem a bit complicated, but once you get the hang of the sail, it can be a very satisfying sport. In addition, you need to develop a lot of upper body strength to be able to hold the sail on windy days with lots of waves.
However, if you want to get into this world, you can start doing it little by little on days with little wind and start daring more and more.
Physical benefits of windsurfing
Windsurfing is a water sport that improves the cardiac and respiratory system, it also allows you to train the lower and upper body just like surfing and tones your body. Like any sport on a board in the sea requires balance and this improves the more you practice and of course, also helps coordination.
Mental benefits of windsurfing
Being an extreme sport, windsurfing helps to release adrenaline and stress. After practicing it, given these benefits, we will also get a sense of well-being and general fitness thanks to the satisfaction and contact with nature in the sea.
Benefits of Kiteboarding
The kitesurf is an activity that is gaining more and more popularity all over the world. It is an extreme sport that mixes speed, adrenaline and freedom.
If you like adventure and are looking for a new way of practicing sports, the kitesurf is what you are looking for. You can read our article with tips to start your first kite lessons in which we talk about the necessary equipment, the best areas to practice kitesurfing and the main dangers you can face.
You will also find tips to improve your technique and become a real expert.
Now that you know what this sport is all about, here are some of the physical and mental benefits of kitesurfing.
Physical benefits of Kitesurfing
For anyone who practices it, kitesurfing has health benefits. In addition to those that can bring you any sport, it has some specific ones. For example, the development of reflexes, the exercise of elasticity and the improvement of proprioception.
Mental benefits of Kitesurfing
These benefits vary depending on the person and their traits or personality but some of the benefits you can find are: a high development of concentration, an improvement in self-confidence and overcoming limits and challenges that will lead to greater motivation and satisfaction.
Benefits of Surfing
Surfing is much more than a sport; it's a way of life. There are many people who call it the "sport of the hippies", because it really is a very relaxed and natural way of life. You don't need much to practice it, just a board and the sea.
Surfing is one of the most popular sports in the world and more and more fans are interested in practicing it. Not only is it a very fun sport, but it is also very beneficial for your health. It will keep you fit and help you relax.
Physical benefits of surfing
The practice of surfing provides a great level of fitness as it strengthens a large number of muscles throughout the body thus strengthening the lower and upper body during your surfing sessions. On the other hand, surfing is an activity that requires being physically active for long periods of time, which causes the heart rate to rise and improves the circulation of oxygen in the blood and respiratory rate thus reducing the risk of heart problems.
Mental benefits of surfing
One of the great benefits of surfing as other sports practiced in the sea is the reduction of stress, being outdoors not only reduce stress but due to the intensity of this sport and fatigue that produces this sport will help us to maintain regular and healthy sleep patterns.
Benefits of Paddle Surf (SUP)
SUP is ideal for those people who want to get started in water sports, as you can start paddling little by little (standing up) and even, once you have gained confidence, start catching waves and even move on to a more extreme sport if you have gained enough confidence and stability.
Physical benefits of Paddle Surf
This sport will allow you to improve your resistance since it allows you to have a complete training of your whole body. You will also get a better balance and stability that will be very useful if in the future you want to practice surfing for example. It will also improve your respiratory system since a correct breathing during the practice of the sport will oxygenate better your muscles and your brain.
Mental benefits of Paddle Surfing
As one of the less extreme sports, it allows you to considerably reduce stress and provide you with moments of calm and reflection, which will allow you to improve your ability to concentrate and be able to focus more effectively.
Benefits of Swimming
Swimming is considered one of the most complete exercises that exist and in which large muscle groups move. It is suitable for everyone, regardless of their physical shape and produces benefits for the elderly, the young, the healthy or people with chronic diseases.
Physical benefits of swimming
Swimming, being a water sport, has many of the advantages mentioned above. Still, to these, we can add the benefit of being submerged in water, so the impact they receive on our muscles and bones is much lower than any sport we practice out of the water. This allows us to have a toning equal to what we can get with other sports but considerably reduces the risk of injury.
Mental benefits of swimming
A growing body of research suggests that swimming may significantly boost brain health. Regular swimming improves memory, cognitive function, immune response and mood. Swimming may also help repair damage caused by stress and forge new neural connections in the brain.
In short, the benefits of water and nautical sports are many. To this list, we also add the great vibes created when practising any of these sports with friends and colleagues, since you can always make small competitions with them using KANARA Sport and its Challenge mode that will allow you to increase the fun plus the motivation.
Discover the water sports app
If you want to start practising one of these sports, the first thing is to be careful because they are sports that involve danger. The recommendation we make is better to start with an instructor or a friend with the experience to guide you.
Of course, do not hesitate to download the KANARA Sport water sports application, available for Android and iOSThe aim is to get the most out of your sessions and to be aware of your capacity to improve by being able to keep a continuous control of your performance.
Apart from benefiting mentally and physically by practising your favourite sport, with KANARA, you will feel part of a community that promotes good fun and connectivity among riders.
Share your sessions, photos and videos with your friends or other users around the world. Challenge your rivals to see who is the fastest or who can cover the most distance. Participate in exclusive digital events with incredible prizes.
Have a tool at your fingertips to see your performance and benefit from the fun when practising your favourite water sport or water sports.
