With summer weather heating things up across much of the country, swimming is a great way to cool off and have some fun!\u00a0 But did you know that it\u2019s also an excellent way to increase your fitness, help control your weight and improve your overall mood?\u00a0 Plus, swimming is a type of exercise that people of any age and physical ability can enjoy.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy on the musculoskeletal system while at the same time providing a good aerobic workout.<\/p>\n

Swim for Fun<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even among avid swimmers, boredom in the pool is one of the common reasons for losing interest in sport.\u00a0 While swimming laps in the pool may not seem like a recipe for fun, here are a few things you can do to add some variety to your in-water workouts.<\/p>\n

\n
• Plan your in-pool workout ahead of time and vary your activities so that variety is built-in.<\/li>\n
• Swim with buddies who have the same water fun and fitness goals that you do.<\/li>\n
• When swimming laps, do things to keep your mind engaged in your activity and help sharpen your technique.\u00a0 Counting how many strokes you need to complete a length of the pool and how quickly you can do it is one way to look for improvements.\u00a0 Experimenting with stroke length is another.<\/li>\n
• If you have the option, change up the locations of your swimming workouts.\u00a0 A change of scenery\u2014from an indoor pool to an outdoor one, or from a lake to the ocean\u2014can make a big difference in how your workout feels.<\/li>\n
• Add to your \u201cplaybook\u201d of swimming drills.\u00a0 You can reach out to others or go online for suggestions to help mix things up.<\/li>\n
• Learn some new strokes or make up some of your own.\u00a0 You might look silly doing it, but it adds to the experience!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

  Swim for Fitness<\/strong><\/p>\n

  While swimming may not be as accessible as walking, running or even biking in some communities, it has distinctive health benefits that make it well worth the trip to a local pool.\u00a0 The organization that governs all swimming-related activities in the UK (called the ASA) compiled a report of scientific findings from all over the world about the health benefits of swimming.\u00a0 Some of them are truly striking.\u00a0 For instance, researchers have found that swimming regularly reduces men\u2019s risk of dying early by a staggering 50% relative to those who run, walk or do no physical activity.\u00a0 Experts estimate that just two and a half hours per week of swimming can significantly reduce your risk of chronic disease.<\/p>\n

  A good all-around exercise, swimming involves both aerobic activity and working against resistance.\u00a0 Unlike most aerobic activities, however, swimming involves little in the way of jarring impact (like the shocks and jolts involved with running) and doesn\u2019t require you to support your full body weight while doing it.\u00a0 When submerged up to your neck in water, your body weight is effectively reduced by 90 percent.\u00a0 As a result, overweight and obese people can get a good workout without placing large amounts of painful stress on the lower body\u2019s muscles and joints.\u00a0 This removes a common deterrent to exercise for a large (and growing) part of the US population and suggests that swimming could be an attractive option for people trying to manage their weight.<\/p>\n

  Arthritis sufferers or those with musculoskeletal injuries can also benefit from swimming, since studies have shown that it improves range of motion without causing a worsening of symptoms such as pain and stiffness.\u00a0 In fact, according to the UK\u2019s Chief Medical Officer, swimming as a form of exercise (as opposed to running or practicing other impact sports) can reduce your risk of osteoarthritis.<\/p>\n

  Beyond increasing fitness levels and helping to manage weight, swimming may provide a variety of other health benefits:<\/p>\n

  \n
  • Studies performed on people suffering from fibromyalgia have found that exercise performed in a warm pool reduced anxiety and depression and caused an improvement in mood.<\/li>\n
  • For older adults, swimming has been shown to improve quality of life and reduce the risk of osteoporosis.\u00a0 Post-menopausal women in particular are at increased risk of bone loss, and swimming provides a safe and effective form of the resistance exercise that is needed to maintain bone density.<\/li>\n
  • Pregnant women find that swimming strengthens their shoulder and abdominal muscles, which are put under increased stress during pregnancy.\u00a0 Obstetricians recommend swimming as a good form of exercise for most pregnant women, as it provides them with temporary relief from the extra weight they are carrying.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    It\u2019s hard to exaggerate the potential fitness benefits of swimming.\u00a0 Swimming helps to build cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and endurance.\u00a0 It tones your muscles and helps to maintain healthy heart and lung function.\u00a0 It also improves flexibility, reduces blood pressure and alleviates stress.\u00a0 Whether in a community pool, at a nearby lake or in the ocean, swimming offers an ideal way for most people to keep fit that\u2019s also easy on the body\u2019s musculoskeletal system.<\/p>\n

    So get out there this summer and have some fun in the water!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    With summer weather heating things up across much of the country, swimming is a great way to cool off and have some fun!\u00a0 But did you know that it\u2019s also an excellent way to increase your fitness, help control your weight and improve your overall mood?\u00a0 Plus, swimming is a type of exercise that people of any age and physical ability can enjoy.\u00a0 It\u2019s easy on the musculoskeletal system while at the same time providing a good aerobic workout. Swim…<\/p>\n

    Read More Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[51,79,93,198,209,261,262,266,1,291,292],"tags":[364,377,492,500,540,596,696,700,737,745],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1037"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1037\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiroaddict.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}