Swimming is an effective cardiovascular workout that can be done virtually anywhere, as long as there is water available. In addition to working the heart, swimming exercises the entire body. It can also help relieve stress, improve mood, and build muscle. It’s also a great way to lose weight.
It is recommended that new swimmers work with a swim instructor to learn proper technique, as this can make the difference between success and failure in the pool. Those with no prior swimming experience should start off slowly, building up to an appropriate level of intensity over time. Getting in the water for even just 10 minutes a day, or three to five days a week, can make a big difference in a person’s ability to swim and maintain their strength and endurance.
Once people feel comfortable with their front and back floating, they can begin to flutter kick with the legs. This helps strengthen the legs and prepares the body for the more advanced strokes of freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly. When kicking, it’s important to remember to breathe often. Keeping the head above water and breathing through the mouth and nose is the safest way to do so. This will prevent the neck from becoming stiff and sore, as well as keep the airways clear to avoid a dry throat.
Eventually, as swimmers become more comfortable in the water, they can move to swimming underwater and splashing their face to get used to the sensation. When ready, they can then progress to swimming in a chest deep pool, or even more, and perhaps even participating in a swimming race or event. There are four major strokes that men and women can compete in: freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. There are individual races as well as relays.
For those that are looking to increase their endurance, swimming a mile can be an effective goal. This can be accomplished by breaking the mile up into sets of laps that can be completed over time in a standard-sized pool. Depending on the swimmer, four laps of any basic stroke can be an adequate number of laps to work up to in terms of endurance.
To get the most out of the exercise, swimmers should always practice good form and be sure to rest at the wall between laps. It’s also important to eat a protein-rich meal before and after a swim to replenish the body’s nutrients after a hard workout. In addition, those who are looking to improve their ability to float should consider adding some light strength training to their routines by doing a few assisted or unassisted pull-ups and some squats to develop the muscles needed to stay afloat in the water. This will not only increase strength, but it can also lead to faster swimming times and endurance as the body becomes more accustomed to this difficult task. The bottom line is that swimming is a fun, challenging and rewarding workout for people of all ages and abilities.