Swimming Tips

Posts Tagged ‘Everyone’

If you’ve had enough of running, are tired of walking or lifting weights, bored of biking or simply can’t stand the heat, then swimming is for you. This popular water sport is a great way to exercise, meet new friends, and kill time.

People swim for different reasons. A dip in the pool or meeting the waves on the beach can help one cool off after a hard day’s work or a tough day at the office. Others enjoy the feeling of floating and sliding through the water while some find swimming a relaxing way to meditate, leaving them refreshed and ready to face another day.

Indeed, the reasons for swimming may vary but experts agree that swimming has a lot of health benefits. Among these are strong heart and lungs, less frequent attacks of asthma, and improved stamina.

“Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness. It can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workouts. Before a land workout, you can use the pool for a warm-up session. Swimming with increasing effort to gradually increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity is easily accomplished in the water. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cool-down, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water,” explained Mat Luebbers in About.com.

“Many swimmers also find an in-direct benefit from swimming. They develop life skills such as sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal-setting, and an increased sense of self-worth through their participation in the sport. Swimmers seem to do better in school, in general terms, than non-swimmers as a group,” Luebbers added.

To reap the numerous benefits of swimming, here are some safety tips to consider:

Check the depth of the water before you dive and know your limits.

When you’re in a pool, don’t run around or drink from glass containers.

Always have a buddy. Don’t swim alone.

Outdoors, the best swimming hours and the safest are the last two hours of the morning and late hours in the afternoon from 3 to 6 p.m.

On very hot days, don’t swim during the middle of the day. The heat of the sun and the glare on the water may give you a headache.

Make sure the water is clean and free from hazards like broken glasses, dead leaves, insects, empty rusty cans, and rotten branches.

Beginners should confine their activities to enclosed areas.

Uncontrollable shivering, a bluish tinge on the lips, a drawn pinched face, cold and clammy skin are warning signs that you should stop swimming.

Incidentally, swimming can also help you lose weight since it burns a lot of calories depending on how efficiently you swim. To help you stay in shape, take Phenocal, a safe, natural, and effective weight loss supplement that boosts your metabolism, suppresses your appetite, reduces food cravings, and increases energy levels for a leaner, healthier you. Check out http://www.phenocal.com for details.

You may be a runner, a yogi, a walker or a sports buff, but everyone can benefit from swimming.  You may have a fear of the water stemming from a bad childhood incident that is preventing you from swimming.  Or you may not know the proper techniques involved in swimming laps in an Olympic size pool.  Have no fear, with a few simple tips you will be on your way to becoming a seasoned swimmer or at least look like one.

Swimming as a cardio exercise is widely recommended by most doctors because it doesn’t apply harsh pressure on the joints.  It is a whole body workout for people who have injuries, musculoskeletal, arthritis, or weight limitations.  Professional athletes train in water after injuries to regain their strength or cross train to improve their range of motion.  People with disabilities or joint stiffness use swimming as a means to relieve pain.  It incorporates all muscle groups – giving strength to back, shoulders, hips, glutes, and legs.  Water gives 12 times the resistance as similar movements in air. 

There have been many success stories associated with the positive impact swimming has on physical disabilities.  People can go from getting around in wheel chairs to walking perfectly normal.  Try to enlist a friend who is a good swimmer to show you the basics or get a swim coach.  I am not a swimmer, never have been in my entire life until I had an injury  Start by swimming for about 10-15 minutes at a time, then work up to 30 minutes a few times a week.  

Don’t get frustrated- learning swim styles besides the doggy paddle can seem overwhelming.  You can use a kickboard to feel more comfortable or begin by running in place in the water.  It is a great workout and it can be very calming, as well.  You just need a bathing suit that won’t fall off and some eye goggles.  It took me awhile to get acclimated because I felt awkward and didn’t know what I was doing.  Some kind soul showed me the way and I am hooked!  Just dive right in!  What have you got to lose?