Tag Archives: Swimming

Benefits of Swimming

The human body feels much lighter in water, which makes swimming an enjoyable low-impact choice of exercise for people of different ages and levels of health. Because it requires an individual to move the body against the resistance of water, swimming is a safe way to work out and build up strength.

When an individual swims, it also increases the heart rate. Swimming tones many muscles, due to the fact that the whole body is used for propulsion through the water. Other health benefits include improved joint use and increased endurance.

Most Americans have health clubs or public pools nearby. Many of these are open year-round and can be covered or heated for use in colder weather. Because of its accessibility, multitude of benefits, and low impact, swimming is a positive exercise option for many people

The Healthful effects of Swimming:

Swimming has often been touted as one of the best forms of exercise—but why? This list covers a few of the benefits.

  1. Whole-body conditioning: Swimming may be one of the only physical activities that works the entire body. You’ll tone the upper and lower body with swimming movements.
  2. Little chance of injury: Swimming has very little impact on your body because you’re practically weightless in the water. You won’t stress your joints or bones while swimming.
  3. Improved blood pressure: Any routine workout can help reduce high blood pressure, thereby reducing your chances of having a stroke or developing heart disease.
  4. Weight control: Of course, any kind of exercise will help you regulate your weight and burn off excess calories. Swimmers who seek to lose weight should consider interval training
  5. Reduced stress: Swimming helps release those highly coveted endorphins, which can lead to a better mood. Swimming is similar to yoga, in that it helps muscles relax.

About the author:

Amita Vadlamudi spent much of her career as a computer systems engineer. These days, Amita Vadlamudi enjoys a balanced range of hobbies and activities, one of which is swimming.

 

Types of Swim Strokes

Swimming

Information technology expert Amita Vadlamudi possesses a bachelor’s degree in computer science. She has worked in the IT field for over three decades. In her spare time, Amita Vadlamudi tries to stay in good health and good fitness by swimming.

When it comes to competitive swimming, there are four types of strokes that are used to measure athletic ability: the backstroke, the breaststroke, butterfly stroke, and the freestyle stroke. Together, all four strokes make up the individual medley. The backstroke involves a swimmer laying on his or her back in the water and fluttering their legs while alternating arm movements. Conversely, a breaststroke requires a swimmer to swim on their front side. Creating a heart-shaped pattern, the arms move from the front of the breast and finish on or below the surface of the water.

Of the strokes, the butterfly is considered the most elegant because of its combination of overhead strokes and dolphin kicks that create a ripple or wave effect. The legs remain close together as a swimmer engages in a butterfly stroke.

The final type is the freestyle stroke. As the name states, a swimmer has the option to choose the type of movement he or she would like to use. The crawl stroke is the most commonly chosen freestyle stroke. It involves a simple alternating of the arms and legs.

 

Reasons to Go Swimming

Swimming Pool

Amita Vadlamudi possesses more than 35 years of experience in the information technology field, most recently working as a computer systems engineer. Making exercise a priority, Amita Vadlamudi enjoys swimming for her workouts.

With so many benefits and very few disadvantages, swimming is one of the best forms of exercise out there. Read ahead to learn some of its advantages:

1. Improves cardiovascular health: Swimming offers nearly unparalleled cardiovascular benefits (save for high-intensity running or cycling) if used consistently and with good form.

2. Balances muscles: Swimmers develop longer and leaner muscles compared to the shorter and denser muscles built through weight training.

 3. Good for cross-training: Many hardcore athletes work swimming into their routines as a form of cross-training. Swimming gives the body a break from high-impact activity while still working the muscles effectively.

 4. Core strengthening: Swimming is one of the only activities that engages all the muscles at the same time, resulting in a stronger core.

 5. Flexibility: Swimming in a heated pool relaxes the muscles, priming them for a good stretch. Furthermore, a quick swim after an intense workout flushes out toxins which would otherwise lead to soreness.