Staying Fit for Paddling

     Halloween probably isn’t a great day to talk about staying healthy and fit.  The aisles of candy have been beckoning you for months, the bowls filled with treats are set by your door, and if you’re like me you have had to make 3 trips to the grocery store to buy Halloween Candy because you keep eating your stock.  Even if this is the case you can start eating right and exercising anytime,  you don’t have to wait until tomorrow, the beginning of a month, or the New Year to begin your exercise program.

     Some people enjoy exercising, especially if it is an activity they enjoy participating in.  If you love to paddle like me, but your on the water options are limited due to ice, then you can still enjoy paddling and the physical benefits it offers.  Kayakpro has a couple of indoor options for you to choose from in order to stay fit for the next paddling season.  If you are serious about kayaking then you can try SpeedStroke but if paddling a dragon boat, canoe or outrigger is more your style then you will appreciate their new MultiStroke.  

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    According to the Paddlefit  website,  "Multistroke can precisely replicate the resistance and feel of Dragon Boat, Outrigger and Pro Canoe paddling. The Combination of catch, resistance, and glide are 3 factors which make up the true "on the water" feel of paddling. In order to replicate this, the mechanics of blade entry, relationship between the forces on the shaft, the top guiding hand all are critical. This Precise replication has been achieved in Multistroke."

     If I had the room and the extra money sitting around then I would love to have one of these machines.  It always surprises me how at the end of a summer I can paddle for a long time without getting fatigued or lift a canoe up onto a vehicle without writhing in pain.  Every Winter I lose the muscle I gained over the Summer and every Spring I struggle with paddling great distances.  If I could start out the Summer in top shape then wouldn’t that be nice? 

     I could ask for a MultiStroke for Christmas but I have to admit the price tag scares me.  Maybe if I won the lottery?  Wait a minute, that would mean I would have to buy a ticket.  I think I will just settle for a canoe or kayak set up on a couple of sawhorses in the lodge. It doesn’t matter what you choose to do, just do something for exercise today, there’s no need to wait.

 Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!