Apart from burning a decent number of calories, it also has a lot of other important benefits. Kiteboarding keeps you physically fit, it gets your heart pumping and healthy, it improves your balance, it increases your reflex and reaction time, it alleviates stress, it allows you to meet other people, and a lot more!
On top of that, it allows you to have a unique experience which makes it not only a good workout but also a super fun sport.
How Many Calories Do You Burn Kiteboarding?
According to the MET (Metabolic Equivalent of Task) values from the “2011 Compendium of Physical Activities”, this is the number of calories you burn for a 1 hour long light-wind session. The calories burned are based on an age of 35 and a height of 5 feet 9 inches (162cm).
| Calories Burned | ||||||
| 125 lbs (57 kg) | 140 lbs (64 kg) | 160 lbs (73 kg) | 180 lbs (82 kg) | 200 lbs (91 kg) | 220 lbs (100 kg) | |
| Men | 597 | 705 | 854 | 1,007 | 1,164 | 1,324 |
| Women | 668 | 799 | 983 | 1175 | 1375 | 1581 |
How Do You Get in Shape for Kiteboarding?
A lot of training guides are available for everyone. These training guides have exercise routines particularly made for kiteboarding that will help you get in shape as you become a stronger and a more responsible kiteboarder. The simplest way to get in shape for kiteboarding is to do some basic exercises that is focused on strengthening your core and cardiovascular endurance such as pull-ups, bicycle crunches, burpees and many more.
Stretching, building your strength, and toning your muscles will have a great effect on your kiteboarding performance. However, apart from strength training, you should also give equal importance to stability, flexibility, coordination, balance, and reflex training. Including all of these in your training regimen will help you get in shape for kiteboarding and greatly reduce the risk of accidents that come with this extremely fun sport.
Is There a Weight Limit for Kiteboarding?
Kiteboarding does not have a weight limit. Although you might have a difficult time finding the appropriate gear that fits you, know there are gears available for all shapes and sizes. You just need to choose which gear, board, and kite best suits your weight, height, and level of experience.
If you are someone who is considering trying out kiteboarding but is too afraid to do so because of your weight, set your fear aside because you have nothing to fear at all! You might need to find the biggest or smallest size of a wetsuit and seat harness but apart from that, you have nothing to worry about. Just get out there, go kiteboarding, and do not ever let your weight stop you from anything you want to do.
Is Kiteboarding an Extreme Sport?
It is considered an extreme sport that is usually done on water wherein a kiteboarder straps his/her feet to a board and a kite pulls him/her. Kiteboarding is often seen as an extreme sport because of the dangers that come with it.
With that said, some people also consider kiteboarding as an easy sport. This might be true to them but remember that you should never underestimate the inherent dangers of kiteboarding as this could get you severely injured. In fact, a lot of people have gotten into accidents because of kiteboarding.
How Dangerous Is Kiteboarding?
The kiteboarder sets how dangerous the sport is. Sure, it can be a very dangerous activity but as long as you educate yourself about the sport, obtain proper training, and always take the right safety precautions then the risk of accidents can be mitigated.
In addition, it’s a very wise idea to take kiteboarding lessons with an IKO-certified school whether you be a beginner or not. You will learn about the basics of kiteboarding thereby helping you to kiteboard much more safely. Kiteboarding comes with several risks but then again how dangerous you make it is completely up to you.
