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July 29, 2016 4 Reasons To Swim Your Way To A Healthier You
After spending a lot of time trying to find a workout that suits your needs, you may start to feel discouraged about the amount of time you have to spend making sure you get the full benefits. You may have tried a combination of strength training and aerobics, but you just can’t seem to fit it all into your daily schedule. Also, you may feel ready to give up because you find it all tedious and boring.
What if you could find an exercise that works out your cardiovascular system, tones your muscles, and is also fun? Swimming is the answer, and there are four benefits that can help make your dream of a healthier you a reality.
Gives Your Heart a Workout
Cardiovascular Workout
While swimming your laps, your heart rate increases to give you a thorough cardiovascular workout. However, working out in the water has a less stressful impact on your heart than land-based activities, such as running.
When you are in the water, your heart rate does not get as high as on land. While you still achieve the optimal range for your workout, your rate does not become excessive. This could prove beneficial if you have a heart condition. However, you should always ask your doctor before you start, in case there are any special concerns.
Provides the Ultimate Strength Training Experience
Strength Training
Swimming not only gives your heart a good workout, but it also provides the ultimate in strength training with no weights needed. Water has a 15 percent greater buoyancy than the human body, so each kick or stroke you take offers resistance. This helps increase your muscle tone.
To take full advantage of the water’s resistance to gain overall tone, switch up your strokes with each lap. For example, you may do the crawl for your first lap, then backstroke for the second.
Burns Quite a Bit of Calories
Losing Weight
If you are trying to lose weight, swimming burns calories more than running or drudging through most workout videos. In just half an hour, you can burn anywhere from 200 to 300 calories, depending on the intensity of your workout and the strokes you choose. Even just a leisurely swim burns around 200 calories in only 30 minutes.
Offers a No-Impact Workout That’s Easy on Your Joints
No-Impact Workout
Since your body is completely supported by the density of the water around you, swimming provides a no-impact workout. This reduces the amount of pressure on your joints and connective tissues than running or walking, especially if you suffer from arthritis or sports injuries.
Swimming is an Ultimate Workout
Being able to strengthen your heart and lungs while reducing trauma to your joints and burning calories makes swimming one of the ultimate workouts. Give this all-over healthy exercise a try for a couple of weeks. You may see a significant difference in how you look and feel, and you may even enjoy yourself while you’re doing it.
Source:
WebMD.com – Swimming for Fitness
