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Tuesday, April 01, 2008

"Kayaking and Low Blood Pressure"



I am not sure if there is any scientific data out there, and I am not going to contribute any, but I think that when a person is in kayaking mode there may be an associated lowering of blood pressure. How did I get there? Well it is my experience that when most kayakers are kayaking, and I mean in the general sense, talking about it, actually doing it, telling a story, blogging, dreamin' bout it, plotting a course, plotting to get a new piece of gear without the spouce knowin' less of course she is a kayaker then ya need two, bailing, rolling, instructing anything associated with kayaking, a smile almost seems synonymous. I would think and this information does come from studies and that is laughing or making people smile is very therapeutic in extending the lives of people who are terminally sick, that guttural action and moving of membranes and connective tissues, viscera and muscles does wonders for those incapacitated or compromised in some way.


Much like they say that if you own a dog you can add about five years to your life, I figured we'd get two so I could have an extra ten, but I digress. It is also said that petting a dog can lower ones blood pressure by calculable measures and perhaps this is the relaxed content feeling that not only the dog has as this is performed, much like the sensation that I know most avid kayakers feel when they are "kayaking" in every sense of the word. Thus my deduction that maybe kayaking does lower one 's blood pressure just cause it makes ya feel so good.

Ralph and Dan in the above pictures I know love kayaking. Ralph I've paddled with on a number of occasions and Dan mostly during our pool sessions this winter but it always has been an enjoyable time. So when there is a "Kayak Journal of Health" I hope lowering blood pressures is a topic for discussion.

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