According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, swimming is a good way to get physically active. It's a vigorously intense aerobic exercise. One hour of aquatic aerobics and lap swimming burn 292 and 511 calories, respectively, in a 160-lb. person. Swimming helps maintain and improve health in many ways.
Benefits of Swimming
According to a study in the October 1989 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, male swimmers had a greater bone mineral density than those who didn't exercise. Women had no difference. Still, swimming therapy may help prevent or treat osteopenia, which is low bone mineral density and a possible precursor to osteoporosis. Other benefits include improved cardiopulmonary endurance, improved mood, decreased risk of chronic illnesses, reduced arthritis pain and fostered independence in seniors, and lower mortality.
Aquatic Exercises
If you're new to exercise or you don't know how to swim, water aerobics are a good alternative. While still providing resistance, water exercise can be easier on the joints and bones and muscles than land-based exercise due to the buoyancy the water provides. Perform exercises in waist-high water. Use floatation devices if you don't know how to swim. The water noodle is a long, flexible cylinder. Hand webs are gloves. Water weights are foam dumbbells. They all provide resistance, and the water noodle also provides support.
Water Walking and Arm Exercise
Water walking is similar to walking on land. Swing your arms and keep your back straight while walking. Strengthen your arms using hand webs and water weights. Stand with your arms down and your palms facing forward, close to your sides. Bring your forearms up to the surface of the water, then back down.
Aquatic Leg Raise
To strengthen your leg muscles, tie a water noodle around your foot and stand with your back against the side of the pool. Rest your arms on the pool's edge for support. Bring your left leg out in front of you, then flex it at 90 degrees. Return to the starting position, switch legs and repeat.
Learn to Swim
Swim lessons are available at places such as recreation centers, athletic clubs, the YMCA and senior centers. Most facilities offer private and group lessons. Learn from a certified swim instructor, who can progress you from getting comfortable in the water to floating, to performing basic strokes, all the way up to diving, if desired. Basic strokes include the doggy paddle, freestyle, backstroke, sidestroke, breaststroke and butterfly.
Safe Swimming
Always supervise children while they're in the water. Wear waterproof sunscreen if you swim outside. Swim with a buddy or near a lifeguard. Avoid swimming in inclement weather, and use extra caution in unfamiliar waters, watching your footing, monitoring the tides, and diving feet first to avoid serious injury. Don't swim under the influence of alcohol. Whether swimming in a neighbor's pool, the ocean, a lake or a public pool, always follow the rules and lifeguard directions. If you have a medical condition, consult your physician for advice.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Swimming/Recreational Water
- Girlshealth.gov; Fitness
- Mayoclinc.com; Exercise for Weight Loss: Calories Burned in 1 Hour
- Archives of Internal Medicine: The Relationship of Swimming Exercise to Bone Mass in Men and Women; October 1989
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; "Health Benefits of Water-Based Exercise"
- American Society of Clinical Oncology: Physical Activity and Survival After Prostate Cancer...; Stacey A. Kenfield, et al.; 2010
Member Comments