Did you know that Charlotte is the home of the world's largest recirculating river? The US National Whitewater Center is located on the banks of the Catawba River right here in the Queen City. Covering nearly 400 acres of woodlands, this family friendly outdoor recreation center includes 14 miles of biking, running, and hiking trails and houses one of the world's largest climbing facilities.
So what kind of workout can you expect with oar in hand taking on the rapids? For a person weighing 150 pounds, you will burn about 90 calories every 15 minutes, which translates into 360 calories burned for one hour of pure adrenaline rush. Beyond the calorie expenditure, your biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles are going to get quite a challenging workout. Every time you hit a strong current, you will be bracing yourself to stay in the raft, utilizing your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus muscles. But inevitably, you will not be aware of any calories, workout or fitness benefits because you will be having a blast!
Tammy M. and a group of girlfriends, including your Charlotte Fitness Examiner (see pic), celebrated her birthday with an evening of rafting with a "not so bad to look at" young guide barking out orders throughout the course. Not only did it require a lot of strength and stamina to take on the more advanced rapids but a heck of a lot of abdominal muscles were recruited when the raft tipped and everyone struggled to stay inside. The bottom line is you don't have to go to the gym for your regular workout on the day you go whitewater rafting.
Raft trip times are currently limited during the week with several times offered on Saturday and Sunday. The center highly recommends that you call the facility or check online to confirm availability of raft trips as they are subject to change due to weather or booked capacity. So, if you're looking for a new way to cross train and shake up your exercise routine the US National Whitewater Center may have everything you've been searching for.
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