Our 10 Favourite Health Benefits of Wakeboarding

At Volcano Watersports, we’re sure we’ll never run out of excuses to get on the water – but it never hurts to have a few more up our sleeve.

Wakeboarding is one of our favourite tow sports. It’s fun, thrilling, and accessible to beginners – but it’s also incredibly beneficial to your health. Here are just 10 reasons to give wakeboarding a go.

1. It’s great for your balance…

Wakeboarding – and watersports in general – are all about balance. Water is a fickle thing, and it’s not easy to keep yourself upright on its surface as it splashes, waves, and shifts beneath you.

Whether you’re on a wakeboard, a surfboard, a waterski or just floating on your back in a still pool, being on the water means making constant micro adjustments to your posture and stance – shifting a little this way, and a little that way.

Balance is a skill like any other. Even those of us who think we’re born clumsy can work on perfecting our sense of balance, and finding that ‘ideal stance’ for a sport like wakeboarding.

2. …Not to mention your core

Our cores play a major role in balance. A strong core doesn’t just have to mean rock-hard abs, but, more importantly, a constant source of strength in our centre.

A strong core is great for back health, for protecting our vital organs, for your posture, and for stabilizing the body – particularly during intensive exercise. If you’re a runner, then you’ll know what a difference it makes to your form when your core is feeling strong and engaged.

Being on a wakeboard is similar in that respect. To keep yourself in the proper form – and, eventually, work some tricks into your ride – you need to keep the core engaged, offering that stability and strength to the body every second you spend out on the water.

If we had to choose between doing a bunch of sit-ups and hitting the water with our wakeboards, we know which one we’d choose in a heartbeat.

3. We all need our daily dose of Vitamin D

There’s a lot to be said for getting out in the sunshine, soaking up some rays (with sunscreen, of course), and letting the fresh air blast away all the cobwebs that accrue throughout the working week.

Between working in the office, the grocery store runs, housework and those early morning gym sessions, a lot of people find it hard to get enough sunshine. Throw in some dark and dingy winters, and you can see why so many start to feel low on vital Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is great for us, provided we protect ourselves from getting too much sun. It’s great for bone health, which is another reason why getting kids into watersports early is such a good idea.

Wakeboarding is a great excuse to spend a day out in the fresh air, letting the sunshine lift our spirits while we get in some exercise, and some much-needed fun.

4. It strengthens the wrists

In traditional workouts, our wrists don’t get a whole lot of attention. It’s a shame, when you think about it – our wrists need to have a lot of strength and a good range of motion, or everyday tasks start to feel a lot tougher as we get older. In other words, strong, flexible wrists are something we should all be aiming towards.

But really, who wants to spend a lot of time worrying about their wrists? Between arm day, leg day, ab work and rest days, who’s going to set aside time for ‘exercising’ the wrists?

Wakeboarding is the perfect solution. Keeping hold of the rope, and figuring out how to balance strength and flexibility as you keep yourself upright, is a great exercise for the hands, wrists, and arms. True, you may make it back to shore with a little soreness, but that’s a great sign of a job well done.

5. It gets the circulation going

One of the reasons exercise is so good for us is its impact on cardiovascular health.

Your cardiovascular system is made up of your heart and all those vital veins that keep the blood pumping through your body every minute of the day. If you don’t get enough exercise in, then your circulation can easily start to slow down; organ health can suffer, your skin can dry out, and you can start to feel colder, too.

In other words, the whole body can start to suffer from poor circulation.

Plenty of things can boost circulation. Watching horror movies, drinking caffeine or eating certain foods like garlic, and, if you’re on a long flight, compression socks can all help, but the very best way to get your cardiovascular system working harder is exercise.

From the boost of adrenaline that wakeboarding gives you, to the constant movement and exertion of strength when you’re on the water, wakeboarding is a sure-fire way to get your circulation really going. It’ll give your entire body the boost of blood and oxygen it’s been craving.

6. It’s also great for your mental health

This one’s pretty much a combination of all the other health benefits on this list. From relieving stress to getting outdoors, boosting your confidence to giving your brain a new workout as you figure out the mechanics of the sport, there are so many elements that will give your mental health a boost.

Nature is another great tonic for the mind, and Lake Arenal is in no short supply of beautiful, inspiring natural scenery. Surrounding yourself with the sights – and with the diverse wildlife at Lake Arenal – will give you some memories that will last a lifetime, and remind you what you’re capable of.

With your music blasting, good food to keep you fuelled, and all your favourite people around you, it’s hard not to feel on top of the world.

7. You’ll sleep a lot better

One of the greatest benefits of getting outside, getting active, and getting some Vitamin D? You’ll sleep like a baby on the nights that follow.

Great sleep is always needed, but when your body has pushed itself further than usual and tried to navigate a brand-new skill – one that is, without a doubt, physically demanding – it tends to come a lot easier.

Good sleep is so important. It gives the body a chance to rebuild and restore itself, and the mind an opportunity to really relax and sort through those wonderful memories you made throughout the day.

Plus, the better you sleep, the more ready you’ll be for another session on the wakeboard soon…

8. It’s a great stress reliever

Stress that builds up throughout the weeks, months, and years doesn’t just go away when the stressful event – a big meeting, maybe, or a house move – has ended. In reality, it accumulates quietly within us, creating tension in our minds and bodies that, eventually, has to be expressed.

That’s why it’s so important that we find ways to really shake off that stress – stop it from clinging to our muscles and our emotions, and holding us back from what we really want.

Wakeboarding is the perfect antidote. It gives your mind a break, and your body a chance to shake it all off and do something totally different.

9. Your confidence will skyrocket

We won’t sugar coat it – wakeboarding takes some time to get used to. The learning is, in our opinion, the best part – flopping, getting back up, and making a little progress every time you take your turn in the water.

And, while committing to those early falls can be a little difficult, it’s actually a great way to boost your confidence with every single improvement you make.

10. It’ll bring out your inner child

Back in the day, water meant having fun, splashing around, spending hours and hours doing the same things over and over, just for the fun of it. As we get older, it’s easy to get a little more pragmatic about water. And don’t get us wrong – swimming laps is great for our cardiovascular health, but it just doesn’t tick the ‘fun box’ like playing around did.

When you’re learning a tow sport, there’s plenty of time for falling over, making a big splash, looking a little goofy and trying over and over again, just because it’s fun. It’s one thing to understand the physics of wakeboard and waterski, for instance, but sooner or later it comes down to letting loose, laughing until your sides hurt, and dedicating an afternoon to learning something just for the heck of it is exactly what the doctor ordered.

There are so many reasons to try wakeboarding. Whether you come with the whole family for a full-on watersports vacation, or just want to arrange a few hours on the lake with your friends – or a special date – there’s not a lot that can top the feeling of flying over Lake Arenal’s blue waters, figuring out what your body is capable of, and having fun for the fun’s sake.

Get in touch with us if you have any questions about booking your next watersports session with our expert team of instructors.