The Benefits of Swimming in Giving a Full Body Workout

The Benefits of Swimming in Giving a Full Body Workout
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Sports that Condition the Entire Body

For all the sports enthusiasts out there, did you know that there are some sports that give a full body workout? There are sports out there that are not only enjoyable but are beneficial for the overall health in that they work just about every major muscle group in the body, which helps with burning calories and getting fit. This article will give examples of fun, interactive sports that condition the entire body.

Swimming

Swimming is probably the best exercise for working the entire body. It is safe, easy on the joints, and effective in burning calories fast! Research shows that a 155-pound person swimming free style for an hour with vigorous effort, could burn 704 calories. In addition, swimming helps build lean muscle and improves flexibility.

How to Achieve a Great Swimming Workout:

With these six strokes, every muscle in the body is worked:

  1. Try the free-style stroke with flutter kick. This works the deltoids, hips, hamstrings, and quads.
  2. Try the back crawl with flutter kick. This works the deltoids, hips, hamstrings, back, and quads.
  3. Try the side stroke with a scissor kick. This works the hamstrings, triceps, hips, quads.
  4. Try the butterfly stroke with a dolphin kick. This works the chest area, deltoids, and the complete lower body.
  5. Try the elementary back stroke. This focuses on the complete lower body and deltoids.
  6. Try the breast stroke with a frog kick. This works the complete lower body, the triceps, and chest.

Butterfly Stroke

Back Stroke

Physical Benefits of Swimming

Swimming can be a very demanding exercise which can use every major muscle group. It really depends on the particular stroke being used that determine which muscle is worked. The back stroke, breast stoke and free style laps use muscles of the triceps, biceps, quadriceps, abdominals, gluteals, and hamstrings. Swimming is also beneficial for keeping the joints in the hips, neck, and other limbs flexible.

The large amount of oxygen used and the time it takes to complete a lap are the things that categorize swimming as an aerobic exercise. The U.S. Water Fitness Association gives some of the following benefits of swimming.

  • Improves physical appearance
  • Increases energy
  • Flexibility and strength are improved
  • Improved balance and muscular endurance
  • Aids in weight control/management
  • Aids in rehabilitation

Cross Country Skiing

Although many enjoy the great outdoors while skiing, many are finding that cross country skiing is great for a full body workout. It really comes down a persons form with this type of skiing as to what muscles will be utilized, but it mainly comes to three, the upper, lower, and middle regions of the body.

National Cross Country Skiing

Cross Country Skiing Works the Upper Body

As a skier moves his/her arms back and forth and pushes off with the poles, this works the triceps and biceps. When a skier works the technique called the double poling, in which both poles are planted down at once to push off, it mainly works the biceps. The skate technique mainly works the triceps. With the pole planting technique the pectorals muscles are mainly worked.

Cross Country Skiing Works the Core

Cross country skiing is a great way to get strong muscles in the abdominal area. The pole planting technique is a great way to strengthen the abdominal muscles that are used quite a bit here. The largest muscles that a skier has are on their buttock called the gluteus maximus and are to a large extent used in the skate technique. Two large muscles called the latissimus dorsi muscles located mid back on either side of the spinal column are also used in cross country skiing.

Cross County Skiing Works the Lower Body

Cross country skiers are constantly pushing off with their legs, which allows the muscles in that area to become very strong. The calf muscle is used a lot in diagonal cross-country skiing. One of the four muscles that create the quadriceps called the rectus femoris is also used in ski methods and diagonal skiing.

Conclusion

This article describes two sports, swimming and cross-country skiing, which are not only fun and enjoyable but are beneficial in giving a full body workout when using proper form and techniques. Therefore, for those out there who want to get in shape while participating in a sport, know that there are sports that give a full body workout–consider swimming and cross-country skiing.

Resources

https://www.buzzle.com/articles/how-many-calories-does-swimming-burn.html

https://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/08/swimming-101-the-fitness-benefits/

https://www.trails.com/list_3808_muscles-used-cross-country-skiing.html

https://www.targetwoman.com/articles/guide-to-swimming-exercise.html

Image Resources

All images courtesy of free photos from Bing

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=cross+country+skiing+&go=&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=#focal=7732829d31981880f331b03c0652f984&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bigthundernordic.com%2Fnationals2003%2Fimages%2Fbrayden-in-relay_jpg.jpg –cross country skiing

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=butterfly+stroke+in+swimming&form=QBIR&qs=AS&sk=&pq=butterfly+stroke+in+sw&sp=1&sc=1-22# –butterfly stroke

https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=back+stroke+in+swimming&go=&form=QBIR&qs=n&sk=# –back stroke