Another great way to keep fit or loose weight is Swimming, mostly for people who don’t like the gym, running or other land sports. Swimming is a great form of all-round exercise which not only burns a tone of calories, but also keeps you very active and healthy. It doesn’t involve too much effort and helps you get results faster. Apart from being so much fun on its own, there are tones of health and fitness facts about swimming.
Did you know that even a gentle swim can burn over 200 Kcal in half an hour and a fast front crawl can burn as many calories as an 8mph run? It is true.
Here are a few more health and fitness facts you may not know about swimming
- Because water is about 800 times denser than air, you can work harder, and burn more calories, in a pool than out of it
- Female swimmers have been shown to experience significantly less tension, depression and anger after exercising than before.
- Swimming can support up to 90% of the body’s weight in the water, meaning that those with disabilities, injuries or illnesses such as arthritis can take part in a comfortable and safe environment. It also means you gain a full body workout.
- The support of the water for arthritis sufferers allows less painful movements in affected joints as well as toning up the supporting muscles. Swimming can also reduce the risk of arthritis by helping to retain normal muscle strength and joint structure.
- Taking part in physical activity such as swimming can prevent diseases and conditions that cause loss of function in later life.
- Different swimming strokes challenge different muscles within the body so you can choose where you tone up.
- The pressure of water causes a shift of blood volume from the periphery of the body to the thorax. This increases venal pressure and so leads to a decrease in heart rate of up to 20bpm lower in water than on land. The same intensity of exercise at a lower heart rate. Only in the pool
10 reasons why swimming
is good for you
1. It’s a total-body workout. Swimming tackles everything from sculpting your back to toning your arms—all without having to pick up a weight. Rather than needing a plan to work specific muscles, all four strokes work to strengthen your entire body.
2. It’s joint-friendly. If you’re recovering from an injury and are eager to build strength, then look into starting a swimming routine to stay fit. If running is your passion, then swimming is a great way to work out on recovery days, granting knees a rest from the pavement.
3. It doesn’t require fancy equipment. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to swim. All you need is a swimsuit, cap, and goggles. Even if you do decide to add more equipment (e.g. a kickboard), they are rather inexpensive, and chances are your local pool has a few handy.
4. It’s a great way to burn calories. Those rumors about swimmers and calorie intake aren’t false: An hour of moderate swimming can burn around 500 calories. This revs up your metabolism, continuing the burn well after you’ve stepped off the deck.
5. There are several variations. The workouts are endless when it comes to the pool. Beyond all four strokes, you can kick, pull, or even use the wall for pushups. Grab a friend and try this interval workout.
6. It’s optimal for cross-training. Avoid an elliptical or gym class burnout by trading your normal workout for the pool. A swim session will actually improve overall performance at the gym (and vice versa). And when you’re training for a marathon or any other competition, jumping in the pool can offer you an extra edge over your competitors.
7. It maximizes your cardio. Swimming is the ultimate aerobic activity. There is more breath control compared to running, thus an increased demand for oxygen, causing your muscles to work harder. Because of this, you can get more bang for you buck in a short amount of time.
8. It’s refreshing. Isn’t jumping into a pool so much fun? and you certainly don’t need to be a professional to reap the benefits and enjoy yourself. If anything, you’ll walk away with a nice endorphin kick.
9. Swimming is sweat-free. As a swimmer, you’ll never get overheated or feel sweaty because the water around you is constantly cooling you down.
10. Swimming improves sleep. People who undertake vigorous exercise such as swimming are around twice as likely to report on having a good night’s sleep, according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation. They’re least likely to report sleep problems, with most avoiding problems like insomnia and waking too early.
So start today or make out some time and try swimming. Even if you love your regular gym time and workouts, its also great to spice it up with water exercises such as swimming. But if you’re a no no with the gyms and other land sports, it will be a great idea to try swimming, trust us, its a good if not one of the best ways to keep in shape.
Happy Swimming!
Source: swimming.org
