FISHING FOR HEALTH
HEALTH and FITNESS
DREW HAERER
Drew Haerer is host of the
Manpoweredfishing.com blog and a member of the Malibu Kayaks pro staff. He is a former college football player and long- time exercise enthusiast.
PEDAL POWER
For pedal-powered kayak anglers, strengthening your legs and core will help you go the distance. Pedaling a bicycle will strengthen leg muscles and build stamina. Start with 30-minute rides, three times a week. Map a course that includes flat land and inclines. To warm up for the ride, do three one-minute wall sits. Lean your back against the wall and bend your legs like you’re sitting on an imaginary chair and hold the position. On days between bicycle sessions, do three sets of squats, lunges and step-ups. To build stamina, do 12 to 15 reps with lighter weights. For strength, use five to seven reps with heavier weights.
HEAVY LIFTING
To target the chest, shoulders and back, use traditional strength training exercises straight out of the Olympic power-lifting handbook. The clean and jerk works muscles throughout your entire body, but focuses on your back, shoulders, legs and core. For chest specific exercises, try the traditional bench press, inclined press, declined press or dumbbell fly. Other paddle- beneficial lifts include the overhead press, snatch and reverse curls. Training programs vary from lean, stamina build- ing programs that focus on three to five sets with lower weights and 15–20 reps to muscle building routines that require three to five sets of four to six reps with the heaviest weights you can handle. Find a good middle ground by doing four sets of six to 10 reps with enough weight to exhaust you by the end of the workout. To turn up the burn, use free weights instead of an exercise machine. If you are uncomfortable with heavy bars and weights, use dumbbells.
62…KAYAK ANGLER FITNESS FIREWOOD
Chopping wood with an ax works many of the same muscles as paddling. If you don’t have a pile of logs to split, you can replicate the exercise in the gym. Start with your feet planted shoulder-width apart. Take a half-step back with one leg. Hold a dumbbell or medicine ball over the same shoulder as the back leg. Tighten your core, then step forward with the back leg while swinging the weight to the outside of the opposite ankle. Repeat the movement 10 to 15 times on each side. Change speed and increase weight to get the full benefit.
WALK THE PLANK
To exercise core muscles without weights or machines, try the plank. Start in the push-up position. Then lower your elbows and forearms to the floor. Your elbows should be directly beneath your shoulders. Hold your body elevated in a straight line. For an easier option, start with your knees bent to the floor. As you build stamina, increase plank time and add additional positions like the side plank, raised leg or arm plank or the workout ball plank. Start with three sets of 10-second planks and work towards holding the position for up to two minutes.
EMBRACE YOUR INNER FISH
Not only does swimming build strength and endurance, but it could save your life. Plan a routine that combines the freestyle, breast, back and side stroke. Practice treading water and survival floating. Try to maintain a dead-man’s float for a minute and work towards longer floats.
GO GREEN
Green vegetables make great paddling fuel and have many health benefits. Spinach, asparagus, broccoli,
edamame, kale, chard and other leafy green veggies are high in vitamins, minerals
and disease- fighting
chemicals. One huge
benefit is fiber, which fights cancer, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and controls swings in blood sugar. Green veggies also store loads of water to keep you hydrated. Though it may seem counterintuitive, nuking your veggies in a microwave is one of the best ways to get the maximum nutrients.
Fish meat has high levels of omega-3 fatty acids that are good for your heart and brain. Fish is also low in saturated fats, high in protein and contains impor- tant vitamins and minerals such as D, B2, calcium and phosphorous. Avoid frying fish. For the maximum benefit, cook the whole fish or eat it raw. To remove the fishy taste, bleed the fish by severing its gills as soon as you catch it. Clean the fish as soon as possible. Fillets will keep in the refrigerator for three or four days. Or vacuum seal and freeze the fish for up to three months. Before keeping a fish, be aware of fish consumption warnings that may affect certain spe- cies or a specific body of water.
PHOTOS: DREW HAERER
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