Swimming helps in building muscles, clarifies breathing, stimulates circulation, and relaxes the mind. The various swimming strokes are all safe, not putting unnecessary stress on the joints. Swimming knows no age barriers; anybody, young or old, can swim. In particular, swimming can:
Provide a full body workout – Water workouts develop the muscles of your upper back, shoulders, arms and chest. Your posture also improves, strengthening your back and stretching your muscles.
Help you lose unwanted weight – Did you notice that most professional swimmers are always in top shape? Constant action through different strokes releases unwanted calories, helping the swimmer maintain the ideal weight.
Burn more unwanted fat – One lesser known fact is that resistance in water in ten time more than that on air. If you were able to swim through the air, you only get 25% less calories than swimming through water!
Be therapeutic for certain illnesses and/or injuries – It’s virtually good form of rehabilitation from injuries and pains. Those who have undergone surgery may also find swimming beneficial to become active again. It’s been proven that people with various sports injuries, accidents and other pains usually get better with regular water workouts.
Utilize your muscles – Just swimming a few meters involves most of your major muscles, giving your body a terrific tone up. If you enjoy working out or doing treadmill exercises, then swimming is just perfect for you.
Effectively reduce stress – As you swim, your suspended body position actually minimize stress and contributes towards mental health.
Swimming tips
Ignore the initial resistance – if you’re just starting, you may find water resistance too strong. That’s because while you swim, your entire muscle network is actually doing a lot of work ant the water offers much resistance. However, as your persist, your muscles develop and become strong enough to counter the resistance.
Try various styles – Different swimming styles employ different muscles. Go for different kinds of laps: breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke, sidestroke, and butterfly. This will improve muscle strength and help define your body better.
Kick it! – Kicking while swimming is actually a good cardiovascular exercise by increasing the heart rate. It also helps burn more calories and serves as a muscle toner for the lower body of your body.