Swimming is the most amazing workout ever. Not only can swimming burn more fat than just about every other exercise there is (short of climbing Everest) because it combines weight-training/muscle building with an effective cardio workout. It’s also an enjoyable workout that keeps you from sweating yourself silly. Plus, it’s oh-so-easy on the joints! And swimming does all this in a nice, pleasant low-intensity workout! You just can’t say that about any other workout. Think about it. When you go to the gym and get on one of those sweaty machines like a treadmill, you walk, walk, walk… and when you get off, not only have you spent all that time doing the same repetitive movements looking at the same walls, but you’ve also sweated yourself to a disgusting, smelly mess… and you’re in the same place you were when you started! But, when you swim, you’re gliding along in that beautiful, silky water and, instead of sweating, you actually come out feeling cooler than when you went in! Now that’s a great workout! Here are some of the health benefits and other reasons to choose a low-intensity swimming workout over any other type of workout.
- Swimming is a total-body workout. In fact, swimming is pretty much the only real total-body workout there is. Though all those workout videos and gurus say their workouts are total body, swimming really does work your entire body. It’s a cardio workout combined with an effective muscle-toning workout, making your body more efficient at everything from burning fat to energy boosting. Water workouts burn up to three times as many calories as land workouts. Because water causes more resistance than air, you’ll burn far more calories and fat in water. In fact, you may even find, when you finish your low-intensity swimming workout, that you feel like you haven’t done much at all! But, don’t let this fool you. Give it a few weeks, and you’ll soon find that your body’s fat is pouring off… just like the water through your pool!
- The buoyancy of water not only is easy on the joints, but it also helps to relieve joint pain, even eliminate it altogether. In fact, many orthopedic doctors and physical therapists use some form of a water workout for their patients who are experiencing joint and bone ailments. For those who are recovering from joint surgeries, a workout in the water is ideal.
- A swimming workout that occurs in a pool that is heated between 82 and 88 degrees can help to soothe pain because heated water is a known pain reducer. However, if you have to perform your low-intensity swimming workout in cooler water, don’t fret about it, because even workouts in cooler water are easier on the joints and more effective than those done on land.
- If you’re someone who enjoys your land workouts, such as running or working out in the gym, you should know that swimming is an ideal means of cross-training. For your next workout, consider skipping that treadmill, elliptical, or even your cross-country run, and opt instead for a good swim. Laps are a great way to cross train from one workout to another. Another fabulous swimming cross-training workout is walking, jogging, or even running in a pool. You’ll find you’re using muscles you don’t typically use in your usual workout, and that will help you, no matter what your first workout choice is.
- Finally, a low-intensity swimming workout, unlike any other workout ever, is refreshing! How many workouts can you say that about? Truly, swimming is the only one. Your swimming workout can be done alone in one of today’s endless pools; it can be done in a public or backyard pool; and it can even be done in a luxurious grotto with nature all around!
Swimming… hands-down, it’s the best exercise there is. If you’re not planning on climbing Mt. Everest any time soon, and you want to lose weight while keeping your joints intact, try swimming. It’s the most efficient workout you can possibly do. It’s easy on your joints. It’s easy on your senses. It’s fun. It’s pleasant. And it’s actually more effective than just about any other workout around because it’s a cardio workout combined with a muscle-building, muscle-toning workout. And that means your body’s becoming a better fat burner than ever. The health benefits of other workouts, well, they just pale in comparison to swimming’s low-intensity, high-fat-burning, healthful effects.
