10 Water Sports for a Total-Body Workout

Want a great way to burn a ton of calories, build muscle, increase strength and flexibility, and get the most bang for your exercise buck? A total-body workout is an excellent choice. Not only do total-body workouts deliver a host of health and wellness benefits, they’re fun – especially when you take your workouts to the water!

The health benefits of water sports are numerous. In addition to calorie burning, muscle building, and other advantages, you get to enjoy cardio exercise in a low impact way. Water sports can be adaptable to any fitness level or needs. Our top 10 picks include:

1. Swimming

Swimming is terrific for anyone, especially for those who are recovering from injuries, joint issues, and other conditions that make high impact exercise a pain (literally). Plus, it torches calories, strengthens muscles, and improves cardiovascular health.

2. Kayaking

Proving, once again, that fitness is fun, kayaking is a great total-body workout. Your upper body does much of the work, but your core and heart are heavily involved too.

3. Paddleboarding

Core, upper body, lower body, mind… there is not once muscle that standup paddleboarding does not hit. (And if you’re a beginner, you might combine SUP with swimming….)

4. Rowing

The ultimate full body workout – toning your arms, legs, chest, back, and abs. Rowing improves joint health through a wide range of motion while also relieving stress. Rowing is recognized as a complete cardiovascular workout and burns calories quickly!

5. Rafting

Hold on! Not only is this an excellent cardio and strength workout, you cannot beat that adrenaline rush. As you progress, you can tackle more advanced rapids, boosting your results even further.

6. Surfing

So you’re not Kelly Slater or Bethany Hamilton: even learning the basics of surfing is a hardcore total-body workout. It all stems from your abs, and you work everything from there. Don’t be afraid to fall think of it as an opportunity to throw a crunch into the workout.

7. Wakeboarding

This is another water sport that takes a while to learn and master. In the meantime, it’s a heck of a workout. You’ll hone and tone your legs, arms, and core while working on balance – all of which are functional strength skills that’ll serve you in other workouts and life. 

8. Kiteboarding

Why not look like a boss while working out? Kiteboarding is just cool, and you’ll burn mega calories and improve strength and stamina while having fun.

9. Snorkeling

Get your workout in and see some amazing underwater sites. Snorkeling burns about 300-400 calories an hour, depending on your weight and fitness level. It’s also fantastic for your back and legs.

10. Playing

Jump in the pool or paddle around in the ocean. Playing a few rounds of Marco Polo with the kids or trying water volleyball or frisbee with your pals is truly no pain and all gain in terms of a great workout. Exercise doesn’t have to be something you dread, in fact, you should love it!

When you have an AccuDock floating dock on your waterfront, it makes it much easier and more convenient to access the water and start to take advantage of the many health benefits. Contact us today to explore your floating dock options.