Is paddling a canoe good exercise?

Question

I have a couple of questions about canoeing down a river. I canoed with a friend for 15 miles and it took 3 and a half hours. The river was pretty shallow (2 to 4 feet deep) and while we had to navigate through shallow water, rocks and tree branches, it was relatively calm. Is it true that the person in the back works harder (exercise-wise) than the person in front? He weighed about 50 lbs more than I do, but I'm in better shape than he is. He says he was exhausted afterwards and that his shoulder hurts... which I think is from improper technique - he should have paddled using his core muscles rather than just his shoulder. Who is correct?

Answer 1

Normally with above water stuff liek lets say Bike riding, the guy behind will have less work.  

This is from the turbulance in teh air caused by the guy in front and its better for the guy behind to push through it.

Albeit its only minor it makes a big difference.

Im not entirely sure how this would work on a canoe as water is water? however the same princibles may apply here aswel.

It could be a mixture of bad technique and that maybe..

Answer 2

you are 100% correct you could hurt yourself by just usin your shoulders. And yes paddlin a canoe is a great exercise for your abs dettoids (back muscles) and for endurance.

Answer 3

The closest thing I have done to rowing a canoe is using a rowing machine. If it is anything like that, WHEW! It's a workout and a half!

Answer 4

Well i think it doesn't really matter what position you're sit, it's how much work you're putting into it. And yeah it is an exercise babes.

Answer 5

Well, I've tried to sit both in the back and the front of a canoe, and it's more of a cooperation between the two. This is probably because the one in the front is moving the canoe forward, while the one in the back actually has to steer it. And it's at least more difficult to steer it. So yes, the person in the back works harder in a way. Still, I got cramps when I sat in the front, but not when in the back, so I guess I would say it's worse to sit in the front. It's not exactly unusual to get cramps in your arms after paddling for a while if you sit in the front, as most people aren't used to use those muscles. Not sure if it is from improper technique, but at least I would say it's partly from using muscles you don't usually use. I would expect he didn't use the right muscles if he sat in the back, or it would be the twisting that is needed that caused the pain. And last but not least, paddling a canoe is great exercise, but try to go for shorter trips at first or switch places once in a while. That way you might be able to avoid those cramps.

Answer 6

yup!  Good upper body exercise!

~JP

Answer 7

you are correct but so is he unless his shoulder wasnt really hurting .

Answer 8

he should have used his core muscles to help his shoulders

Answer 9

Canoeing can be great exercise.  Some people like to float and drift, and only paddle minimally.  If you're actually physically putting the blade in the water, and pulling, then you are getting good exercise.    

Who is correct?  You are!

From your avatar, I see you are female, and your friend is male.  It's good that he sat in the back - you do want the person paddling stern to be heavier than the bow paddler.  If you put him in the bow, the boat would be really difficult to control - imagine popping a "reverse" wheelie.  With the weight up front - steering from the back is a challenge.  

Second - being a girl, you're more apt to rely on your core muscles than your big biceps and triceps (cuz you're a girl, and you probably don't HAVE bulging biceps and triceps, right?).  Women are more likely to  naturally find a torso rotation movement to pull water with each stroke.  Men feel all studly, because they have those bulging arm muscles, so they think they need to power through every stroke and flex the gun show.  Guess what?  That's how you get sore arms and shoulders.   :)

I've paddled recreational canoes (for river trips / lake paddling), sea kayaks, and I paddle competitive outrigger canoes on the Pacific coast.  In all forms of paddling, proper technique requires torso rotation; your endurance will be higher and you'll have more fun.