(Newswire.net — September 15, 2017) — While most people just prefer a lazy day on the lake, what if you could have fun and get a good workout in at the same time? With wakeboarding, it’s possible.
For those unfamiliar with the sport of wakeboarding, it’s essentially a hybrid between skateboarding and surfing. The rider uses a specially designed board and holds onto a rope that’s attached to a boat.
“The boards are made from foam that has been molded into a honeycomb shape, blended with resin and coated with fiberglass,” Wholesale Marine explains. “As the name implies, riders edge their way to cut the wake and to move in and out of the wake without falling. Jumps are performed by hitting the wake and launching the board.”
5 Health Benefits of Wakeboarding
While anyone who has given it a try knows that the sport of wakeboarding is fun, it’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s one heck of a workout, too. Here are a few of the specific benefits.
1. Tones Muscles
Wakeboarding isn’t a sport that isolates particular muscle groups. Instead, it targets the entire body and forces you to engage muscles that you might not use on a regular basis.
Your calves and thighs support your body and are used to maneuver the board across the water, while core abdominal muscles are engaged in an effort to balance the body. Triceps, biceps, and deltoids are then used to hold on to the rope and control direction. Even the muscles in your hands will get some use.
2. Improves Strength
When you spend a day wakeboarding, you’re going to wake up sore the next morning. And while soreness isn’t always an indicator of a good workout, it certainly is in this case. Your muscles are actively rebuilding and becoming stronger over time. After a few months of regular wakeboarding, you should see a noticeable increase in body strength – even in other areas of your life.
3. Enhances Balance
One of the fundamental keys to being a successful wakeboarder is learning how to balance on the board. While it takes some time – and some people are naturally more balanced than others – you’ll eventually get it. And not only will you see better balance on the board, but you’ll also enjoy improved coordination in other sports.
4. Provides Stress Outlet
“Physical activity helps bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins,” Mayo Clinic staff notes. “Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also can contribute to this same feeling.”
So can an hour or two of wakeboarding.
Wakeboarding has rather significant stress-relieving properties. Not only does it release endorphins, but it also takes place on the water – which is relaxing in its own right. Even when you’re in the boat spotting someone else, there’s something nice about jetting around the water and enjoying the great outdoors.
5. Mental Improvements
In addition to providing an awesome physical workout, wakeboarding also offers mental benefits. For one, it enhances concentration and reaction times.
When you’re on a wakeboard, things can change at any given moment; with each turn the boat takes, the wake changes. Throw in things like rotations, jumps, and hand switches and it’s easy to see how much hand-eye coordination and focus is required.
Fitness Can Be Fun
Getting in shape and staying shape is a constant battle that typically requires hours at the gym, but who says it has to be boring? By picking up a sport like wakeboarding, you can enjoy a day on the water and get fit at the same time. Give it a try and see what you think.