Swimming: For Those Who Do Not Want To Water-Down The Resistance ~Jay Himat I dive into the water and my stomach hits first. No surprises there. I’m kicking faster than I ever have with my arms moving similar to a portable fan. My breath is fading and I occasionally hear the cheering from the crowd. Bang! The cheering I had just heard is gone. It’s quiet. I’m still kicking my legs and moving my arms. Fifteen seconds or-so pass before I look up; everybody has finished. Some students are getting out of the pool whilst the school is laughing at me. I’ve finished last by over 20 seconds. Oh boy, this is embarrassing. The only way which seems fit to avoid the embarrassment is to hobble out of the pool as though I’ve sprained my ankle. You may ask “how do you sprain your ankle swimming?” “Don’t look up, don’t look up” I tell myself.

Burning calories is also through the amount of energy needed while swimming, as well as muscle development.

Sure, swimming is still a great exercise to add if you are also trying to get that toned, fitness model body, but it’s the benefits on organs such as our lungs that are crucial for keeping us healthy. With good technique, swimming helps train the body to use oxygen more efficiently. Swimming will also effect heartrate, which is why it is important to exercise in a safe manner. If your heart-rate is too high, you will strain your heart. If your heart-rate is too low, you won’t get the most benefits. Dr Thomas Allison, Director of the Sports CardiIt’s over. I’m in the ology Clinic in Minnecubicle. I’ll sit there sota explains as a genuntil the next few races eral rule of thumb, inare done and hopefully crease in intensity will everybody will have generally correlate to forgotten about the kid an increase in heartwho took 2 minutes to rate. Getting the balswim a 25m sprint. ance of right intensity is crucial to get the right heart-rate, and get Looking back at my the health benefits. Furschool days brings quite a laugh. I mean, nobody thermore, blood-pressure medications can have an else got professionally coached in swimming, so why effect on heart-rate, and have an effect on the safe was I so bad? Sitting in cubicles after the swimming heart-rate range during exercise. The American races are something I won’t forget. Pretending to Heart Association has a general ‘Target Heart Rate’ sprain an ankle in a swim is something I definitely for various age groups, but as always, doctors and will not forget. I mean, I was the first man ever to do physiotherapists can give good advice on how to exthat! ercise safely. After a lot of thought I decided not to continue my somewhat-failed swimming career. However, I am here today to explain to you the benefits, none of which I have been game enough to achieve since those school days.

Finally, being buoyant in the water takes away the impact of the ground on your body. Professor of Kinesiology at the Indiana University believes that swimming is far less likely to cause injury when undertaken on a long-term daily basis compared to running or strength training. Swimming is much less stressful on joints compared to many other fitness Firstly, swimming is a compound exercise – mean- activities, which makes it great and safe for any age ing that whilst swimming, more than one muscle group, including the elderly. group is working. The muscles which work together will depend on the stroke of course, but generally most swimming strokes engage both arm, leg and So what are you waiting for? Get to your nearest core muscle groups. Swimming is a great workout pool or join the nearest club & jump in for a swim. because you need to move your whole body against Just be assured, you may not see me – I’m still the resistance of the water. Water is around 800 scarred. times denser than air. Each kick, push, and pull is basically a resistance workout for your entire body. Oct 2014