The Fitness Benefits of Swimming
By Rebecca Blain of http://www.everything-swimming-pools.com
There are many fitness benefits to swimming. By making it seem
like the body weighs much less than it actually does, swimming
is the perfect alternative for those who are not capable of
performing other types of exercises and activities. Individuals
with a spinal cord injury, for example, are able to strengthen
their muscles through swimming when they may not possess the
strength to walk. By establishing exercise routines in the local
gym, you can begin a progressive workout scheme that will help
you improve the quality of your health.
Before you jump up, go to the pool, and swim, there are many
things that you should be aware of. First, while swimming
exercises can allow those who cannot perform in many physical
exercises begin to improve their health, it must be done
carefully. Jumping in a pool and swimming laps does not mean
that you will improve your health at no risk. Getting started in
a swimming routine should be a slow process. You should start
off with easy breathing exercises, and learning the basic
strokes. Knowing these strokes will enable you to begin lap
swimming, synchronized swimming, and other forms of swimming
based exercises.
When you swim, regardless of the type of exercises you are
doing, it is important that you understand how your body reacts
to the exercise. Because of the nature of swimming, it can be a
rather deceitful activity. It is very easy to do, and makes it
appear as if you are not straining yourself. However, every
stroke you make exercises muscle groups and works your lungs and
heart. If you have any cardiovascular or other conditions, you
will need to ensure that you do not strain any portions of your
body. This is even more important if you are recovering from a
serious injury.
Most importantly, you will need to establish what level of a
swimmer you are. Most individuals who have been injured or are
just starting swimming exercises will be a beginning level
swimmer. At the beginning level, you should focus on the various
strokes, and how to breathe while swimming. This is very
important, as it can prevent you from drowning in the future.
Even if you suspect that you are better than beginner status,
start from this level. This will ensure that you unlearn any bad
habits, and that you do not strain your body. It is important
that when you begin the process, you make use of fitness centers
and the trainers that are available to you. This will prevent
injury and ensure you are working with a swimming program that
will benefit you in the long term.
When you start swimming, there are a variety of different
exercises that you can use to improve your stamina and general
health. The first of these is lap exercises. By swimming laps,
either leisurely or paced, you can exert your body to the level
that is appropriate for you. Leisurely laps are especially good
for those who need to start off slowly. By augmenting laps with
floats and other swimming aides, even beginning swimmers can
begin making progress at little risk.
When swimming laps, either over shallow or deep water, make
certain that you are not the only one in the swimming pool, or
near the pool. Cramps, muscle strains, and other injuries can
happen to anyone, even the professional swimmer. While this is
unlikely, it is not a risk you should take.
The second type of exercises are most commonly used with
synchronized swimming. By swimming in a variety of repeated
patterns in shallow or deep water, you can work all of the
muscles of the body without the strain associated with lap
swimming. This is the style of swimming exercises most commonly
used by someone with a spinal injury or other disabling
injuries. This style of swimming should always be done with an
instructor who can guide you through the basics and ensure that
you do not cause yourself any injury.
When you become a more expert swimmer, there are a range of
games and other activities that help tone muscles and encourage
good health. Including a variety of games like Shark and
Minnows, Water polo and water based Volleyball, you can make use
of your exercises in such a way where you can participate in
sports or leisure games.
There are a wide variety of swimming pools that you can use in
order to improve your health. The most commonly used are
standard Olympic sized pools. These can be found in many gyms
and training centers, and tend to have trainers available for
those who require one. Prices for trainers are based on the gym
you go to. Some trainers are included in the price of membership.
For those who do not want to go to the gym or local training
centers, home pools are more than acceptable for use,
as long as you have supervision when you are working on your
exercises. Above ground or in ground pools can both be used for
basic swimming sizes. If you want to work on laps, you will want
either a lap pool, or make use of an Olympic sized pool near you.
As a rule, there are a variety of things that you can do to
protect yourself when you are swimming. First, never go into the
pool alone. Accidents can happen to anyone, and this is the best
protection you can have against drowning. Second, you should
never attempt exercises alone without being instructed by a
trainer on how to safely do the strokes. This is especially true
for those recovering from an injury. Third, make certain the chemical content of your pool is within
acceptable parameters. This is usually not an issue at training
centers and gyms, but advised for home swimming pools.
When you begin a progressive swimming exercise program, expect
to see slower improvement than from other, more intensive,
programs. However, as this is perhaps one of the easiest and
enjoyable ways to get into shape and stay into shape, everyone
can benefit with a little work.