Benefits of Swimming

When I was little I wanted a swimming pool more than anything. I never got one. But then I went to college, and my school happened to have a state of the art swimming facility. Suddenly, I had a swimming pool at my disposal.

And if your school has a swim team then it probably has a pool, too. Chances are, you can use it for free (as long as the swim team isn’t practicing). So go ahead, dive in, splash around, and get a great stress-free workout while you’re at it.

Benefits of swimming, Good for you

According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the buoyancy of water reduces the weight your frame must bear by about 90 percent. This means the stress on weight-bearing joints, bones and muscles is similarly reduced. So a water workout isn’t likely to cause injury or leave you with sore muscles. That’s why the pool is such a great place to work out if you’re recovering from an injury, need a break from running or walking, or if you’re new to exercise.But just because it doesn’t hurt, ACE says, doesn’t mean you can’t get a great workout in the pool. Water exercise like swimming can include all the components of fitness: Cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. And, when done regularly, water exercise helps reduce body fat.

“Swimming offers a full body workout,” says Rich Axtell, a Masters swim coach. “All major muscle groups are used while swimming and it’s a great cardiovascular exercise.”

Axtell adds that swimming is also a safe workout haven for those who may be injured because it offers a “low impact environment on the road to recovery.”

A serious workout

To get the most out of your time in the pool, try interval training instead of swimming regular laps. “Going down and back for an hour each day will limit your progress,” Axtell says. “Mix things up.” Warm up with several easy laps then insert sprints and harder swims of varying distance, with recovery laps in between.”Try and challenge yourself to better your weak spots and then reward yourself by doing a few laps in your “comfort zone,” Axtell says.

You can also mix things up by using the water toys that are usually lying around the edge of the pool. Try a few laps with a kickboard for a leg workout, or use a buoy for your legs and propel yourself using only your upper body.

And even if you’re an experienced swimmer, consider taking a lesson to give your workout an added boost. You’ll probably have fun and learn something. Axtell says many of the accomplished swimmers he works with take lessons regularly to improve their strokes.

Image courtesy: morrisville.edu

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