Swim for a Healthy Body and Mind
Liifetime Sport Offers Welcome Relief From Sizzling Summer Heat
Jun 21, 2008
Swimming For Mental and Physical Health.
Swimming's advantage of being a "low-impact," fitness activity helps alleviate the stress from the body’s weight-bearing bones. Swimming laps and, in particular, water aerobics, and other aquatics can provide a surprisingly vigorous workout.
In tandem with high-impact exercise, such as running, weight training, and walking—which promotes bone strength—swimming balances your regime and offers a useful warm-up—and a cool-down— making this activity perfect for “cross-training."
Swimming at least three times weekly for a minimum of 30 minutes increases endurance and strength, oxygenates blood, generally enhances cardio-vascular health. A good adjunct to a weight loss program, swimming a mile burns approximately three calories per minute. (Of course, this will vary with each individual’s size, vigor, and speed.)
Swimming as Meditation
Use the rhythmic quality of swimming laps as a form of meditation. Your mind will wander and you may find your thoughts gently lifting away as the clouds. By “emptying your mind,” you’ll experience a rejuvenation that lasts long after the time you’ve spent in the pool. The discipline and routine imparts a sense of accomplishment and boosts your self-esteem. You may resist the hassle of getting yourself to the pool, but you will not regret it: sometimes, the more you resist, the better you feel afterwards.
Cool Water
The cooler the water, the more efficient it is for burning calories. As you warm up and swim continually, you may actually perspire, which is rather difficult to experience as sweating. Warmer water can slow you down, making you feel more sluggish.
Swimming Gear and Gadgets
Wear a cap-- except when doing vigorous water aerobics, which allows the heat to escape from your body through the top of your head which remains above water.. Silicon caps last longer and work better than latex ones. Although Lycra swimsuits may be more stylish and comfortable, they tend to disintegrate quickly, even if you rinse them out as directed-- especially in a chlorinated pool. Polyester suits offer more durability and can last through years of regular swimming.
In addition to the usual kickboards, flippers, paddles, there are weights and “noodles”-- the latter used both recreationally and for water aerobics; current gadgets such as water-proof MP3 players keep swimmers entertained and motivated.
Swimming as Hydrotherapy—For Humans and For Dogs
By alleviating the stress on joints and spine, swimming provides relief to people with mobility and back issues. Many pools offer gentle therapy classes for those suffering from these problems. Most experts recommend that people with arthritis should swim no more than three times a week for no more than 10 to 15 minutes.
In canine hydrotherapy, the water’s buoyancy can aid in treating hip dysplasia, arthritis, injuries, and other problems—including paralysis and stroke. Many veterinarians recommend gentle pool exercise prior to surgery to maintain muscle tone, as well as after surgery to hasten recovery and restore muscle tone. Most dogs are natural swimmers.
Pregnant?
If you’re pregnant, water is probably the only place you’ll feel weightless. It may relieve the swollen ankles many women experience while pregnant. During pregnancy, joints and connective tissue stretch more easily making women more prone to injury. Some women have reported that swimming has hastened their labors. Others report that, although labor may be long, their endurance is amazing.
The Perpetual Pool
Small but pricey, the so-called “endless pool” operates a bit like a treadmill. Set the speed and temperature and tailor your “laps” to your desired level of workout. Accomplish this more cheaply by swimming upstream in a gentle river—though never alone. By swimming in resistance to the current, you may be able to create the same effect.
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