Natural Awakenings Greater Boston/Rhode Island August 2021

Page 28

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fit body

Water Sports for a Total Body Workout Cool Ways to Stay Fit this Summer by Marlaina Donato

Whether it’s adrenaline-fueled kiteboarding or peaceful paddle boarding, getting active in the water helps to improve bone density, elevates mood and engages major muscle groups without stressing the joints. The highlight of a vacation might be rafting down a river, surfing at sunset or waterskiing on a mountain lake. Whether done regularly or occasionally, water sports offer a good workout disguised as play. While some water sports require a 28

higher level of fitness, most are beginner-friendly and only require the willingness to try something new.

Core Adventures “Many lifelong skiers call waterskiing the fountain of youth. My friends who are in their 70s, 80s and even 90s that still ski are living proof,” says pro water skier Corey Vaughn, owner of Bum Pass Water Ski Club, in Bumpass, Virginia. “Waterskiing

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is one of the best total body workouts on the planet, yet you are having so much fun it never feels like a workout.” For Natali Zollinger, a raft guide, river surfer and whitewater stand up paddle boarder, it’s about trusting and working with the current: “Either rafting or paddling, our core has to engage way more than it would with other sports, and you’ll definitely notice the internal strength.” Based in Moab, Utah, Zollinger says that in only


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