Swimming is great exercise – low impact and great cardio. Exercising in a swimming pool is a sport that offers many benefits and can be undertaken even by those with joint pain; when you’re swimming there’s no jarring impact like those that come with jogging or running. The health benefits of swimming are worth the time and effort that goes into owning and maintaining a swimming pool, Kennewick, Washington swimming pool contractors explain.
Why should you take up swimming? That depends on the health benefits you are looking to reap. Does it hurt to jog or run? Do you like the idea of helping your heart while undertaking a low impact sport? Does the idea of exercising in the heat of a summer day while immersed in the cool depths of a pool appeal? The myriad benefits of swimming are as varied. In addition to the health benefits of swimming laps you can enjoy the recreation of it while playing with your family. Water volleyball, anyone.
If you’re a runner who trains on a regular basis, and you need an activity that takes the stress off the joints, then jump into the pool a few days a week for your cardio training. If you’ve undergone an injury, perhaps you can use the pool to ease your way back into exercise in a non-impact way.
New Year’s Resolution To Swim More
Regular exercise in a swimming pool builds endurance, muscle strength, and again, cardio. You cause use swimming as a cross-training method. Jump in the pool as a warm up to your regular workout routine or use swimming aw a way to cool your muscles down after a regular workout.
Swimming burns calories at a rate of about three calories per mile per pound of bodyweight; for example, if you weigh 150 pounds and it takes 30 minutes to swim one mile, you’ll burn about 900 calories in an hour. Keep in mind, though that not many individuals swim that quickly, or for that length of time.
Use your swim time as a social outlet – take a water aerobics class. Need a way to relax? Use your swim time as a way to reap psychological benefits. Practice relaxation techniques while you swim. Focus on your breathing and your strokes. By letting your mind wander and focusing on your breathing and swimming techniques, you can likely gain a feeling of well-being – like that offered by yoga classes or other forms of meditation. Many swimmers find this a direct benefit of swimming.
There are swimmers that have said they have developed life skills such as time-management, sportsmanship, self-discipline, goal setting and it’s been said that swimmers do better in school.
Individuals looking to use swimming as their number one way to lose weight, may be disappointed. While it’s true that any exercise is good exercise, you burn a lot of calories while in the pool, the calorie-burning efforts don’t carry over the way running or other land-based exercise does. Why is that? It’s mainly because when in the pool, your muscles don’t “heat up” the way they do while running and your body/muscles doesn’t haven’t to “cool down” the way they do from running. Don’t get the wrong idea, though, swimming does offer an excellent workout for your heart, lungs and muscles – with very little joint strain. So, definitely, jump in the pool, enjoy yourself and give yourself a workout, just don’t expect to drop a lot of pounds if you use swimming as your only form of exercise.
