Kayaking is generally differentiated from canoeing by the sitting position of the person and the number of blades on the paddle. A canoe is defined as a boat where the person faces forward and kneels in the boat, using a single bladed paddle. Canoes can be closed deck or open deck.

Most people resort to kayaking as a deliberate endeavor towards exercising. Kayaking is considered to be an excellent way of combining fun with exercise. There are kayaks, canoes, and paddles that are built purely for these purposes. In comparison to a canoe, the kayak seems to be the boat of choice among the average person looking for a good paddling workout. Paddling provides fantastic aerobic and cardiovascular effects as well as upper body strength. Although some people do kayaking purely for exercise; actually kayaking provides these health effects whether they are sought or not. Even if done for recreation, this activity reaps the rewards of a complete workout without sacrificing any time of being away from loved ones.

Several people experience a growing sense of discomfort in the legs and low back while sitting for a longer duration in a kayak.  This discomfort can range from feeling stiff and achy to more severe symptoms of numbness and tingling. The legs are very passive in a kayak. No matter how much one might use the legs to push on peddles or grip the boat, the activity no where compares to the range of motion of the paddling arms or the legs while walking let alone running. Even then, many people experience discomfort in their legs while kayaking. There are many possible causes for this discomfort. Many people are short in their hamstring and calf.  Shortness develops as a result of daily activities such as spending a lot of time sitting in chairs or other postures with bent legs, which allows the back of one’s leg to shorten. Thereafter, when one sits in a kayak with legs straight, the tissue stretches more than it is accustomed to and results in pain. Additionally, this shortness of the posterior leg may cause stress or misalignment in other parts of the body. This may compress nerves resulting in numbness or tingling. It may also cause discomfort in the low back due to bad pelvis position. If the posterior leg is short, it prevents in sitting fully upright. The hamstrings pull down on the back of the pelvis creating a sort of slouch.  This rounds the low back, possibly causing back pain. 

Kayaking may also lead to a situation of pinched sciatic nerve. The sciatic nerve is a large nerve bundle that innervates most of the leg. It is very susceptible to compression. If the hamstrings are short, they may shift the pelvis enough to increase the pressure on the sciatic nerve. Further more; pressure on the back of the thighs can impinge nerves or circulation. Last but not the least, for some people, kayaking may cause discomfort as the body just may not like to be immobile for that long a duration.

Therefore, the most important consideration while kayaking, especially for exercise, is to maintain proper technique. The repetitive nature of the sport can adversely cause wear and tear on the joints when proper posture and paddling technique are not observed. More serious injuries such as dislocation of shoulder are also possible. Learning and using proper lifting, posture and paddling technique can certainly reduce the occurrence of paddling related soreness and injury.

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