If you’re looking to tone your entire body, boost your cardiovascular health and strengthen your immune system, swimming is a total-body workout that can deliver the results. It’s also a great low-impact exercise for those with joint problems, like arthritis, or who have experienced overuse injuries from other high-impact exercises.
Swimming builds muscle, burns calories, and reduces the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Plus, the water’s 800 times denser than air, making you work harder in the same amount of space – but without the jarring impact on your joints.
A strong kick prevents your lower body from sinking, reducing drag and allowing you to glide through the water with greater ease. In fact, some of the fastest swimmers in history had a legendary ability to kick.
Whether you’re a marathon runner, cyclist or triathlete, or just a weekend warrior, having the ability to swim is essential to your success in any sport. Swimming can build your speed, endurance, strength, and mental focus – all important components to help you break your personal records and improve your performance in your next race or event.
Many people avoid learning to swim because they’re afraid of drowning or have an irrational fear that they will lose control of their bodies in the deep end of a pool. But once you learn to relax and embrace the sensation of weightlessness, you’ll find that you can breathe more easily underwater. The key is to be aware of your breathing while in the water, and to take slow, controlled breaths from your nose.
If you’re a beginner, the backstroke is an excellent first move to get your feet wet. While floating on your back, do a flutter kick with your legs and a windmill arm motion (similar to the front crawl but on your belly). Keep your arms wide and flat and your fingers together; this will allow you to grip the water more effectively without causing pain in your shoulder or elbow joints.
The catch. After your hand enters the water at the beginning of each stroke, be sure to pull it through with a full range of motion. A common mistake is to cross your arm across the centre line of your body – this causes resistance and inefficient movement.
The biggest challenge for most beginners is breathing. When you’re in the water, consciously breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, keeping pressure on your cheeks as you do so. If this feels uncomfortable, practice by doing the same thing in a bathtub or a shallow pool and gradually increase the depth of the water you’re submerging yourself in. This will prepare you for the full experience in a pool or ocean.