kayak pants women's

1. The Proper Leg Positioning for Women in a Kayak As an avid female kayaker, I'm often asked how my legs should be positioned when paddling. Proper leg positioning is crucial for efficient kayak pants women's and avoiding discomfort or even injury. Through trial and error and advice from experts, I've learned techniques that work wonderfully. When first sitting in a kayak, the knees should be slightly bent at around a 130-140 degree angle. Avoid locking the knees straight or bending them excessively. Avoid Cramped Quads One of the most common kayaking leg pains is cramping of the quadriceps or front of the thighs.

2. This happens when your knees are bent at too extreme of an angle for long periods. Kayak pants and women's styles that are tight around the knees and thighs can worsen this effect. The fix is keeping your knees at a moderate bend between 20 and 45 degrees. Engage your core to avoid slouching, which crunches the legs more. If you need to rest your knees, periodically straighten your legs one at a time. Just be careful not to lock the knee of the straightened leg, as this can put a strain on it. Numbness and Nerve Pain Another annoying sensation is numbness or tingling down the legs into the feet. This results from pressuring the sciatic nerve when the bottom is not elevated enough off the kayak seat.

3. The sciatic nerve runs down the back of each thigh to the feet. Alleviate numb, tingly legs by sitting on an extra cushion or pad. If you have a raised seat already, place a small folded towel or pad under your bottom to lift it up more. Taking the weight off the backs of the legs will relieve the nerve pressure. Avoiding Hyper-extension Be cautious not to lock or hyper-extend the knee when extending your leg. This happens when over-straightening the knee beyond its comfortable range of motion. It puts an unhealthy strain on the stabilizing ligaments. To avoid hyper-extension, keep a slight 10-15 degree bend in the knee when straightening your leg to rest it. Do not force the knee joint past what feels natural. Also beware of pushing down forcefully with the hyper-extended leg on things like rudder pedals. Calf Cramps For many paddlers, the calves take a beating with all the foot bracing against kayak pedals and hull walls. The constant contraction can lead to painful cramps and spasms of the calf muscles. Alleviate sore, tight calves by doing occasional calf stretches when you aren't actively paddling. Point your toes up towards your shin to gently stretch the calves for relief. Stay hydrated and make sure you have enough electrolytes like potassium and magnesium to prevent cramping. The Takeaway Positioning your legs properly while kayaking in kayak pants for women's styles prevents many common aches, pains, and cramps.

4. Avoid cramped quads by keeping knees moderately bent between 20-45 degrees. Lift up your bottom with a pad or cushion to stop sciatic numbness and tingling.