The Many Benefits of Swimming

As the weather heats up, so does the temperature of our pools. Swimming is not only a nice way to relax, but also a great form of exercise. It gives you all the advantages of a cardio workout without building up a sweat. One of the benefits of swimming is it allows you to exercise longer than running because it is gentler on the joints and muscles. If you want to get into great shape without going to the gym, then swimming might be your perfect match.

Swimming Exercises

• Freestyle Laps: If you’re a beginner swim laps for 5-10 minutes and work towards a total of 30 minutes. This will tone the arms and torso. It is a great way to burn calories fast.
• Tread Water: Go towards the deep end where your feet do not touch the ground. Start treading the water for 3 minutes at a time. Repeat this 3-5 times based on your fitness level. This will get your heart rate up, resulting in burning lots of calories.
• Breaststroke: Swim in this stroke for 10-12 minutes and work up to 30-40 over time. The benefits of swimming this style is it uses the hip and inner-thigh muscles, which are often times missed in other workouts.
• Kickboard: Use a kickboard and told it in front of you. If you don’t have a kickboard use a ball. Then have your body out straight behind you and kick from one side of the pool to the other. This works the legs, hips, and lower abs to sculpt and burn fat
• Pike Scull: This exercise targets the arms, hips, and abs. Stand in shallow water and lift both legs together, folding at the hips making your body a V-shape. Your head should be above the surface and your toes too when you fold. Hold this position and tread with your arms.

Health Benefits

• Improved Muscle Tone and Strength: every move in the pool is a resistance exercise because water is almost 800 times denser than air. As your propel yourself, you are building muscle tone and becoming stronger. Post-menopausal women benefit most in bone strength from swimming.
• Less Harsh on the Body: when submerged in water you become lighter. If you are immersed to the waist you only carry 50% of your total body weight and to the chest it decreases to 25%. This makes the pool an ideal place to workout if you have arthritis or other joint issues. A warm pool is the best for people with arthritis because it loosens and relaxes the joints.
• Fountain of Youth: the most curical benefits of swimming is that habitual swimmers are they biologically can be 20 years younger than their actual age. Their blood pressure, cardiovascular performance, cholesterol levels, cognitive functions, and central nervous system all function as someone younger.
• Reduce Risk of Asthma: swimming increases lung volume and teaches proper breathing techniques. If you suffer from asthma it is a great way to decrease chances of having an asthma attack.

There are so many reasons to jump in the pool and start swimming. At Fusion Rehabilitation we promote healthy living and provide patients with the best care they can get. Schedule an appointment today!