Promises like, “I will go to the gym everyday” abound as New Year’s rounds the corner. But after a few weeks of repetitious and monotonous hum-drum, the gym becomes a place of avoidance for many.

If you may want to lose weight, build six-pack abs or sculpt your arm muscles, the staff at Canoeroots have a better New Year’s Resolution: Go Canoeing!

Canoeing is great activity for weight loss. Many canoe trippers notice their love-handles melting on long, extended expeditions. According to calorie-counter.net, an online physical activity calorie counter, “about 15 minutes of canoeing burns about 60 calories.” On a two-week trip, canoeing around eight hours a day, you will use up a total of 26,880 calories, an amount equal to 7.6 pounds of fat. That doesn’t even include the extra 408 calorie-burn benefit from a one-hour portage.

By using proper paddling technique, canoeing is an excellent way to tone muscles. If you paddle at a rate of 40 strokes per minute, you would have taken 19,200 strokes during an eight-hour period. That’s a lot of reps! Shoulders, arms, back and even leg muscles are exercised, giving you a full body workout.

So make a resolution to hit the water this year! Your body will thank you.

Photo Credit: Freedigitalphotos.net