Five Benefits of Working Out on a Lake

On ditching the gym and taking fitness outdoors

Back in my gym-going days, I used to have an underlying sense of dread. After a long day of work, the last thing I wanted to do was work up a sweat while surrounded by mirrors and stares from strangers. It created a negative emotional experience around the idea of exercise, which made me less likely to invest my time and energy to do it. It was no surprise when my gym membership went mostly unused before being canceled.

But these days, I look forward to fitness. I don’t have to talk myself into doing it. Most mornings of the week, I get my kids ready for school, drop them off, and head straight for the lake.

I have so much appreciation for being within a short drive from a state park with a beautiful lake I can visit. For a $50 annual fee, I can park and visit as often as I choose. When I first started out, I would rent a kayak for a small fee, but this option was only available during a portion of the summer — and only between certain hours. The more I tried it, the more I knew that I needed a kayak of my own to really take full advantage of the lake.

That’s when I was introduced to paddle boarding. While initially skeptical, I tried it and found out that I loved it even more than kayaking. After a few rentals at another local park, I ended up purchasing a used paddleboard, strapping it to the top of my SUV, and making regular use of it.

There are so many benefits to working out on the lake that I just didn’t get at a local gym. Here are five benefits that I’ve found in my workouts on the lake:

It’s an affordable investment in my health.

While there was an initial expense with purchasing a board, it was a one-time investment in my health. Rather than making ongoing payments to a class or facility, I paid for my board, paddle, and accessories at one time. Since then, I haven’t had to do more than update the occasional accessory like the waterproof holder I use for my phone and keys.

It makes fitness fun.

Because I love my board and love being out on the lake, fitness isn’t something I dread. Quite the opposite, actually. I make time to paddleboard because it’s fun, and because it’s fun, I’m getting more workouts than I would otherwise. Getting more exercise is linked to better health and lower levels of stress, and the fun factor is helpful in increasing my time doing it.

The fact that it’s fun makes the exercise a joy — not a dreaded chore for some other purpose like losing weight. Weight loss and increased strength or endurance become side benefits of what I’m doing for fun rather than the whole point of the exercise.

It’s a perfect mindfulness meditation.

Like many writers, my thoughts tend to run amok. In fact, it’s rare for me to find stillness as a self-employed single mother who is usually working on multiple projects at a time. My life is busy — so is my mind. But when I get on the lake, there’s such a sense of calm.

First of all, it’s beautiful. It’s a man-made lake, but it’s no less perfect because of it. I’m surrounded by trees, and because I paddleboard so often, I get to observe the subtle changes in season. I watch as trees come into bloom, grow lush and green, change colors, and begin their fall. Each season offers a different perspective, and I’m so busy focusing on the reflection of the sky in the water or the changing of the trees that I pay less attention to the mental chatter in my head.

But there’s also something perfectly peaceful about the movement of paddling. I stand firmly, perfectly balanced on my board, and I move through the water on my own power. The sound of the paddle slicing through the water, the water lapping against my board, and the rush of wind through the trees creates the perfect mindfulness meditation.

I am not outside my body planning the next thing I have to do. I am content, calm, and collected. I am the full movement of dipping my paddle in, using my body to move it forward, and being present in the experience.

It’s family and fur-baby friendly.

I’ve taken my children out on the paddleboard in two ways — either towing them in a small boat or letting them sit on either end of the paddleboard. At six and eight, there are similarly sized and just enough afraid of the water not to wiggle us all into the water. Of course, we wear life jackets just in case, and I don’t take them on the colder days. When they’re older, I want them to have their own boats or boards, but for now, they enjoy riding along on mine.

Since I mostly go when they’re in school or visiting with their father, I often go alone or take my Welsh Terrier with me. He’s just a puppy, but he’s already learned to sit on the board in front of me, with occasional trips to the edge of the board for a drink or to splash at the water. Having an activity that my children and dog can join me in makes the experience even more accessible with my schedule.

It gives me time in nature.

Fresh air, sunshine, and the peace that comes with being surrounded by nature are all benefits of working out on the lake versus at home or in the gym. I get to access the health benefits of sunshine including vitamin D to strengthen my bones, better sleep, less stress, and even a stronger immune system. I do use SPF year round to protect my skin, but I still get those sunshine benefits without the risks. There are an extensive amount of studies showing the benefits of time in nature, and my daily workouts on the lake help me access them.

I’ve started to expand my paddling season to early spring through early winter. Luckily, I live in Georgia, and this is the first year I haven’t vociferously complained about the heat. The warm climate makes it possible for me to go out on the water nearly year-round. In fact, with the benefit or either a wetsuit or a dry one, I could extend my lake time through the winter season.

While not everyone lives close enough to a lake to take full advantage of the benefits or lives in a climate warm enough for it to be advisable, working out on a lake has numerous advantages if the option is available. I’m not overstating it when I say it’s been life-changing. I start my day with a paddle, and even though it’s self-care, it’s also a part of my work routine. I clear my head first, and then I dive into writing.

I’ve been on the lake at sunrise, and I’ve been there to see the sunset. I’ve watched the changing seasons. There’s nothing wrong with exercising at a gym or taking a class or even doing a workout at home, but there’s something extraordinary about being able to go out to a lake to soak in the peace and call it fitness. Every day I get to do it, I feel grateful.

I might work up a sweat, but I do it with the wind on my skin and water lapping against my board. I’m still surrounded by mirrors — only this time, they’re on the surface of the lake reflecting clouds and trees, so that they are at once above and below me. The only underlying sense I have is anticipation, and I know that when I find myself on the lake, I’ll be at peace.