At a glance, neither walking nor kayaking may appear to give you a full-body workout, but both can. Full-body workouts are those that use all major muscle groups, which walking can do with conscious arm movements and kayaking can do without you even realizing it as you paddle through the water.
Muscles Worked by Walking
Walking gives your legs, butt and lower body a workout while providing a weight-bearing exercise that automatically strengthens your skeletal and muscular system. Walking works your arms to a slight degree when you swing them while striding, and you can intentionally enhance your upper body workout even further. Clenching your hands into fists while walking contracts your arm muscles and slightly increases the calorie burn. Other arm movements while walking that enhance your upper body workout include rotating them in circles, making rowing motions and mimicking the chest press and lateral press you would do with weights.
Muscles Worked by Kayaking
Kayaking works your arms, shoulders, upper body and core muscles and gives your legs a workout. Although kayaking does not incorporate your legs into their full range of movement, it strengthens them when you apply pressure and rotate your torso to power the kayak.
Aerobic Benefits
Walking and kayaking are aerobic activities that work large muscle groups and elevate your heart rate for an extended period. Both burn calories and can enhance your overall fitness level as long as you do them regularly. Walking can burn between 456 and 582 calories per hour, depending on your weight, according to the American Council on Exercise. The council makes no distinction for calorie burning based on your gender. Kayaking for an hour can burn about 319 calories if you are a 140-lb. woman and 398 calories if you are a 176-lb. man, according to ABC Health and Wellbeing.
Considerations
Walking is a low-impact exercise without much risk of injury, provided you opt for a comfortable and supportive pair of walking shoes. Kayaking is also a low-impact exercise, but it comes with a greater risk of injury. The injury risk is not only because you are exercising in a small craft atop a large unpredictable body of water but also because of the repeated movement of paddling. Overdoing your paddling can lead to wrist and shoulder pain, especially if you are not used to such repeated movements. Strength training before kayaking can help your endurance and lessen your risk of injury.
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