1. Heart Helper
Swimming
provides unparalleled cardiovascular conditioning, provided you practice
consistently and with good technique. While other forms of exercise may be more
effective at elite levels (such as running or cycling), incorporating
swimming into a cross-training routine and pushing yourself in practice will
result in overall improved fitness.
2. Balance Your Build
Swimming
builds longer, leaner muscles that
complement the shorter denser muscles that develop from weight training. These
"swimmer's muscles" also help boost metabolism to keep calories
burning longer.
3. Cross-training
Swimming not
only boosts cardiovascular capacity while increasing muscle strength, but it
also gives your body a break from higher-impact activities like basketball,
running, andweightlifting.
By creating a balanced workout routine, athletes avoid injury by allowing their
body time to heal, while not forgoing daily training sessions.
4. Increased Flexibility
A heated pool
relaxes muscles, increasing flexibility and enabling important stretching.
Also, after intense lactic-acid-building endurance workouts (running, cycling,
weights), an easy swim helps flush out toxins preventing muscle tightness and
soreness the following day.
5. Strengthen Your Core
Swimming
develops core body
strength because it utilizes all the body's muscles
simultaneously. Although 70 percent of a swimmer's effort comes from the
upper body, kickboard and fin workouts
can provide an excellent leg workout.
6. Endurance
Swimmers are
able to swim longer than they can what they could sustain doing other
activities. With the right technique, a swimmer will be able to train for longer
periods of time than if he/she were running and, as a result,
more calories are burned.
7. Adventure
Swimming has
branched out from the darkened, indoor community pools of yesteryear. Many new
health club chains offer clean lap pools, and local
communities are finding renewed interest in outdoor facilities during the
summer months. Seek out available natatoriums in your area (swimmersguide.com) and if
you are able, locate a natural body of water (lake, ocean, pond, or quarry) and
explore the joys of open-water
swimming.
8. Social Outlet
Imagine
meeting the man/woman of your dreams, and seeing what they look like without
their clothes on for your first date! That's one benefit, at least, of joining
a Masters team
or triathlon training group. In addition to the possibility of romance fueled
by mutual interests, team programs offer peer motivation and professional
coaching to provide you with increased performance results.
9. Weight Loss
"People
who consistently swim strenuously enough to be out of breath when they finish
and elevate their heart rate do burn calories and lose weight," says Jane
Moore, M.D., a physician and active swimmer from Tacoma, Washington. "The
key is to push yourself a
bit."
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