The Best Workout for Kayak Fishing

Watching someone paddle smoothly across still water can make kayaking look easy.  Yet, it doesn’t seem that effortless after paddling for a couple of minutes if you don’t get out on the water very often.

Add to that the need to sometimes paddle long distances to your fishing grounds, fight with a big catch for hours and then have to paddle back home!  You are going to want to make sure that you are fit and ready to tackle whatever the conditions throw at you.

Why Do Other Exercises? Isn’t Kayaking Enough?

Mother Nature is a beast and sometimes she throws the worst at you.  I’ve paddled out to my fishing spot on a beautiful smooth morning and have had conditions change on a dime, battling gale force winds and 3ft chop to get back.  Both your mind and body have to be ready for that.

Training during our off time can make us more prepared for perils we may face on the water.

By running, biking and yes, kayaking we can build our endurance so that we can hold our breaths longer. 

By stretching, we keep our bodies flexible enough for all the bends, twists, pulls and yanks we experience as Kayak Fisherman. 

By building strength we gain power, power in our stroke and more power to bring in the BIG one.  We gain balance and the ability to keep our muscles strong and injury free.

Kayaking alone is an excellent form of exercise, but let’s face it, how often are we really paddling as hard as we can for sustained periods of time?  Unless we’re out there racing, most of us are getting to our fishing spots at a leisurely pace.

Doing other forms of exercise help keep our bodies healthy and pain free, keeping us doing what we love for even longer.  

Eating Healthy Goes a Long Way

Along with the exercises that we are about to go over, making sure we eat healthy food is just as important in preparing ourselves for kayaking fishing.  We all know it. Just eat healthy whole foods. Stay away from the middle isles of the grocery store, shop the perimeter. Avoid fast food, sugars, sodas, etc and you’re pretty much good to go.

I’m not trying to get six pack abs or anything, that perfectly sculpted body has long since passed.  I enjoy a pizza or ice cream as much as the next guy, but I do like to be able to pursue my hobbies and eating well helps me do that.

Kayak Fishing can be a way of life. Catching fish for the family meal, paired with fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden that you or your family grew together, now that’s living.

Do yourself a favor and seek out good, healthy food.  We only live once. May as well live to its fullest and to me, that means being in good physical shape so that I can enjoy all that I still want to enjoy.

Exercises for the Kayak Fisherman

Before beginning any training plan, check in with your doctor or certified training professional.

If you’re expecting a big trip coming up, give yourself about 2 months beforehand to begin training so that you’ll be ready.

I like to do some form of exercise every day for 30 minutes to an hour, my routine goes something like this:

• Mondays and Wednesdays I like to focus on strength, balance and flexibilty
  
  
• Tuesdays and Thursday I focus on endurance and mobility
  
  
• The other days are for fishing or surfing
  

Sometimes the days get switched around.  When there’s a good swell the waves come first for me, but I generally stick to that pattern.

WARMUP

Before doing any sort of physical activity, whether it be going out kayak fishing or doing these home workouts, it is important to warm up. Move your body. Get your heart rate moving.  Let your body know its time to wake up.

In my younger days I used to just run out and go.  I never felt the need to stretch because I was already flexible.  That didn’t last long. Now I can’t do anything without a little warmup first.  If I have any words of advice to the younger generation, stay limber, don’t lose your flexibility.

 Here are a couple exercises I like to start with:

• Circle Arms – Stand tall.  Raise your arms horizontal to the ground, shoulder height like you are a giant “T”.  Begin to move your arms in small circles progressively making them larger. Reverse
  
  
• Torso Twist – From a standing position, bring your left knee to your right elbow, then switch. Do this for 10 reps or so.
  
  
• Toe Touch – While standing, bend forward to touch your toes, but only at 60% of full capacity.  We’re just moving the body a bit at this time, not going for deep stretches. Hold for a couple seconds, come up and repeat 10 times.
  
  
• Light Cardio – Spend 5 minutes warming up your heart.  Jumping jacks, light jog, stationary bike. Whatever you can do to get your heart moving.

Exercises for Strength, Mobility and Balance

I like to do exercises that don’t require any extra equipment or can be accomplished with something around the house.  I do have an exercise ball that I like using for some exercises, it doesn’t cost a lot but can do so much.

Each Exercise is designed to build strength, mobility and balance for a kayak fisherman.

• BURPEES – This is a dynamic exercise helps build mobility, balance, strength and endurance.  It builds the core and leg muscles as well as strengthens the arms, giving you the power to paddle faster or work the pedal drive on your fishing kayak more efficiently.
  
  3 Sets, 12 Reps
  

1. Starting from a standing position, lower hands to ground, shoulder width apart.
2. Jump your legs back into push up position.
3. Perform a pushup
4. On the way up, jump your feet up to your hands
5. Lift up and jump, with arms over head
   

• GYM BALL JACKKNIVES – This exercise utilizes the core to build balance and strength.  This exercise will help you paddle harder and have better balance while on your kayak.
  
  3 Sets, 12 Reps
  

1. Start in a push up position with your legs supported on a exercise ball.
2. Squeeze your abs tight and roll the ball towards you, ending up with your knees tucked into your chest.
3. Hold for a couple seconds then bring your legs back out to starting position
   
   

• PULL UPS – This exercise is a great way to build balance and strength in your upper back and in your core.  It is a great way to target the muscles specific to paddling and cranking on a big catch.
  
  These can be difficult for most people, but if you can install a pull up bar in a doorway in your house, then if you just do a couple every time you walk through, you’ll be doing multiple sets in no time
  
  3 Sets, 10 Reps
  

1. Grab hold of the bar, palms of the hands facing towards you or away shoulder width apart
2. Slowly pull up using the muscles in your back to raise you up, not your legs
3. Lower yourself back down just before elbows lock and lift yourself up again
   

• ONE ARM ROW – This exercise builds strength in your upper back muscles and is a great one to start with if you just can’t do a pull up.  I use 3-gallon plastic water jugs and fill them with whatever weight I desire, using the handle to perform the lift.
  
  3 Sets, 15 Reps
  

1. Using a bench or a couch, place your left hand and left knee on the couch, with your right leg placed straight on the ground and your back parallel to the floor.
2. With your right hand, grab your weight or water bottle handle and lift up, bending your arm up the right side of your body, bringing the weight to your chest. Hold.
3. Lower the weight back towards the floor. Before the elbow gets a chance to lock, lift the weight back up to your chest.
4. Repeat on the other side
   
   

• SHOULDER LIFTS – Shoulders are often times the first body part to go.  A torn rotator cuff is a very common injury. This injury happens very easily with the paddling motion our shoulders experience every time we go out on the water.  I use a small weight or even just a jar of tomato sauce to give me the weight I need for this exercise.
  
  3 Sets, 10-15 Reps

1. From a standing position with your arms at your side, lift from your shoulders and raise your arms up and out to the side until your body looks like a “T”.  Do not go above your shoulders.  
2. Lower and continue for recommend reps and sets.
3. To work a different part of the shoulder muscle, raise your arms in front of you up to shoulder height.  Perform same amount of sets as you did for the side lifts.
   
   

• PUSH UPS – A proper paddle stroke pushes the paddle through the water as opposed to pulls, using your chest instead of your back to power through your stroke.  Push ups are a great exercise to strengthen the chest muscles as well as develop strength in the core.
  
  3 Sets, 20 Reps

1. Place hands and legs into pushup position.
2. Lower the body down to the floor just before the chest touches the ground. Hold
3. Push your body back up to starting position
4. Just before elbows reach full extention, lower yourself back down to the floor.
   
   

• PLANK – This is a great exercise for strengthening the core and giving body balance.  The core gives us power in our stroke but also keeps our backs healthy and strong.
  
  3 Sets, Hold for 1 Minute each set
  

1. Place your body back in push up position, but this time place your elbows down to the ground.
2. Keeping your spine straight and engaging your core, hold for one minute.
3. Release and slowly lower to the ground.
4. Rest for 1 minute and do again
   
   

• BACK RAISE HOLD – This exercise builds strength in the lower back.  A healthy lower back is key to long distance paddling and fighting bigger fish.  Without a healthy back, it’s hard to do anything.
  
  3 Sets, Hold for 30 seconds working up to a minute
  

1. Lying face down on the floor, put your hands behind your head.
2. Slowly arch your lower back, raising your chest off the floor, lifting with your back. Hold
3. Lower slowly to the ground. Rest for 30 seconds. Repeat.
   
   

• ABDOMINAL CRUNCHES – This exercise strengthens the core.  We all know them. Just don’t confuse sit ups for crunches.  Sit ups have been proven to be harmful to the lower back. Crunches are a more effective way to strengthen the core abdominal muscles.
  
  3 Sets, 20 Reps
  

1. Lying with your back on the ground, arms behind the head with feet near the butt, knees pointed up, slowly peel the upper spine off the ground, rolling up and lifting your chest up towards the sky.
2. It is important to keep the lower back on the ground.
3. Lower back down and repeat.  You know the drill.
   
   

Flexibility for Longevity

I like to end each day, whether its a strength training day, cardio day or just a day out kayak fishing with some time to stretch my muscles. 

“You are only as young as your spine is flexible.”

Ancient Proverb

If we lose flexibility we lose mobility.  If we lose mobility we lose the ability to gain strength and endurance.

In fact, if you are unable to incorporate a dedicated strength training AND flexibility regime into your life, dropping strength training and adopting a flexibility program such as yoga would be more beneficial to your body.

There are great videos on youtube that will give a great 30 minute yogo workout that would be great for any kayak fisherman.

However, if I’m pressed for time I will focus on the following stretches for full body flexibility.  Being flexible will minimize injury and give me the confidence that my body will be able to withstand the rigors of Kayak Fishing.

• CHEST STRETCH

1. From a standing position, reach your arms behind you and clasp your hands together.
2. Slowly raise your arms up behind you
3. Lean forward and continue raising your arms as high as you can, feeling the stretch in your chest and shoulders.
4. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times

• SHOULDER STRETCH

1. From a standing position, bring your right arm across your chest towards your left shoulder, keeping arm straight
2. Hold your right arm with your left arm and keep the stretch here for 30 seconds.
3. Repeat 3 more times, alternating sides

• BICEP STRETCH

1. From a standing position near a wall, tree or something else rigid to hold on to, reach your right arm out towards your right, shoulder height, keeping your arm straight
2. Grab hold of the wall or other brace point and slowly twist the upper body towards the left, feeling the stretch in the bicep
3. Hold for 30 seconds and release.
4. Repeat 3 more times, alternating sides

• TRICEP STRETCH

1. From a standing position, raise your right arm to the sky
2. Bend at the elbow and bring your right hand towards your right ear.
3. Reach across your head with your left arm and bring your left hand to your right elbow.
4. Slowly push right elbow back and hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
5. Repeat 3 more times alternating sides

• QUAD STRETCH 

1. Beginning in a standing position, lift your foot from the knee, behind you up towards your hamstring. 
2. Grab your ankle and hold for 20 seconds.
3. Release.
4. Alternate sides and repat for 3 more times

• HAMSTRING STRETCH

1. Sitting on the ground with your legs in front of you, bend at the lower spine and reach for your toes.
2. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.
3. You can also try bending at the lower, middle or upper spine to give your back a variety of stretches, increasing flexibility in the spine.

• THIGH STRETCH

1. Sitting on the ground, bring your feet together towards your sit bones.  
2. Hold your feet with your hands and slowly lower your knees down towards the ground, stretching for about 30 seconds
3. Do this 3 times.

• HIP STRETCH

1. Laying with your back on the ground, raise your legs up in the air, bringing your feet up towards your chest, bowing the knees out.
2. Grab your feet with your hands and feel the stretch in your hips and groin area.
3. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times
   
   

• BACK STRETCH

1. Laying with your back on the ground and legs out in front of you and arms out to the side like a “T”, slowly raise your right knee up towards your abdomen.
2. Lower your right knee to the left side, twisting your spine as you go.  Try to keep the lower back and the arms on the ground while the knee touches the floor.
3. Hold for 30 seconds.
4. Slowly lift right knee back up to starting position and lower to the ground.
5. Repeat 3 more times alternating sides

Meditation

I like to end everything with a meditation.  Having a clear, focused mind can help the kayak fisherman get out of dangerous situations.  And call me crazy, but the more I meditate, the more in tune I feel with the conditions leading to more success out on the water. 

All it takes is sitting quietly, taking in 3 deep breathes, breathing in slowly and breathing out more slowly.  Try releasing all thoughts and letting the mind go blank.

When paired the stretches mentioned above, I like to end it all in Shavasana.  Shavasana is a yoga pose that traditionally ends all practices. It is my favorite, you’ll soon see why.

SHAVASANA

1. Lying on your back, place your arms at your side, palms facing up.
2. Gently release your muscles into the mat
3. Breath deeply and let the mind go free from thought, if a thought does arrive, just try to gently see it on its way
4. Lay here for 5 minutes, continuing to breath slowly and deeply
5. Slowly wake your body and come back to a seated position.

Endurance

At least 2 days a week I like to add some endurance training into the program.  It includes adding cardio such as bicycling, swimming, running and yes, paddling.  While performing any of these activities will greatly increase your heart rate, having a plan will make them much more effective.

Try to mix up your workouts by mixing sprints with jogs.  Go hard for a minute, then moderate for 5 minutes. Then hard for 2 minutes and moderate for 3.  Mix it up, trying to increase speed and longevity with each workout.

Making sure your get your heart beating for at least 30 minutes 3 days a week will ensure you have what it takes the next time you go out fishing.

Hope this helps get you closer towards your kayak fishing goals.  I know it has helped me. Happy Fishing everyone!!