Swimming for Strength and Weight Loss
Introduction
One of the great deterrents of exercising is a lack of fun. Do you remember as a child that you always wanted to play in the water? Well, now you can and get the exercise you need.
Swimming is a great way to strengthen your body and lose weight. This excellent cardiovascular exercise also provides strength training for major muscle groups. It is a great low impact exercise that requires little equipment. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!
Swimming: A Cardiovascular Exercise
Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular exercise. You can burn between 250 to 300 calories in 30 minutes. It easily exercises the heart and all the major muscle groups. It is a nonimpact sport that is easy on the joints and bones.
Swimming: A Strength Training Exercise
Swimming is also a great strength training exercise. Both the upper and lower body is exercised. All the major muscle groups are exerted: quadriceps, gluteals, triceps, biceps and abdominals. The water provides a resistance which forces your muscles to exert more energy in order to propel your body through the water.
More Benefits of Swimming
Another advantage to swimming is that there is little equipment needed. All you need is a body of water and swimwear.
Plus, it is ideal for those who are injured or could easily be injured. Those who have bad knees due to running may find that swimming is an alternative for an effective workout.
Pregnant women, who may not be able to participate in high-impact exercises, will likely find swimming to be of great benefit. The elderly, who may not be healthy enough for more strenuous workouts, will find swimming an enjoyable activity.
As compared to other strength training and cardiovascular exercise, you are less likely to be injured while swimming. Granted, other higher impact exercises can increase bone strength, but lower impact exercises are easier on more fragile bones.
Conclusion
And of course, swimming is a lot of fun! Swimming with a friend is not only much more fun, is also safer.
Before beginning an exercise routine, you may want to think about whether swimming is a better alternative for your exercise needs. You may not be able to participate in high-impact exercises or you may find that swimming is a great exercise for both cardiovascular and strength training health.