Why on earth should you bother to learn to swim at your age?
Because swimming is one of the best, low-impact ways to get your whole body into gear. It works practically all of the muscles in the body and can develop strength, cardiovascular fitness and endurance. In addition, this healthy activity can be practiced for a lifetime, as it is a great form of fitness for all ages.
So what exactly are the benefits of swimming? Here’s why:
1.) It’s Easy on the Body
Swimming is a good fitness choice for just about everyone, especially those who have physical limitations or who find other forms of exercise painful. It is a good, whole-body exercise that has low impact for people with arthritis, musculoskeletal, or weight limitations.
Water’s buoyancy accommodates the unfit as well as the fit. Water cushions stiff joints or fragile bones that might be injured by the impact of land exercises. When immersed to the waist, your body bears just 50% of its weight; immersed to the chest, it’s 25%-35%; and to the neck, 10%.
Athletes use water to rehabilitate after injury or to cross-train. People with arthritis or other disabilities use water to improve fitness and range of motion and to relieve pain and stiffness.
2.) It Increases Muscle Tone & Strength
Swimming recruits all the major muscle groups, including the shoulders, back, abdominals, legs, hips, and glutes. And because water affords 12 times the resistance as air in every direction, it helps to build strength.
Here’s a quick exercise you can do to bring your sexy back:
The Back wall glide – this exercise helps to activate the muscles in your core and lower body.
- Hold onto the pool ledge, tuck your knees into your chest, and press your feet into the wall.
- Push off from the wall and float on your back as far as you can.
- Draw your knees into your chest, press your feet down to the bottom of the pool, and run back to the wall.
- Continue this exercise for 5-10 minutes.
3.) It’s Asthma Friendly
Swimming is also desirable for people with exercise-induced asthma, as the warm, humid air [around the pool] causes…