Swimming - The perfect exercise

Swimming is an activity that burns lots of calories, is easy on the joints, supports your weight, builds muscular strength and endurance, improves cardiovascular fitness, cools you off and refreshes you in summer, and one that you can do safely into old age. There's really nothing like it to combine nature, health, fitness, mental clarity and that pure bliss feeling of lying on your back, floating in the sun or in the pool with no worries in the world!

The English are considered the first modern society to develop swimming as a sport. By 1837 swimming competitions were being held in London's six artificial pools, these competitions were organized by the National Swimming Society in England. As the sport grew in popularity many more swimming pools were built, and when a new governing body, the Amateur Swimming Association of Great Britain, was organized in 1880, it numbered more than 300 member clubs.

Benefits of swimming:

Physicians recommend swimming to that people who have any problems with backbone and heart. In water a person moves almost in conditions of weightlessness moreover in horizontal position, and there is no loading on backbone. And if the back hurts, you can also "pull" it.
Swimming works your whole body, improving cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength, endurance, posture, and flexibility all at the same time.
Without overworking the heart it improves the body's use of oxygen and increases lung function.
It is recognized as a terrific low impact exercise for those who don't like the effects of jogging on their knees, because while in water you are non weight bearing.

It helps to burn calories. During 30 minutes of swimming it is possible to burn 260 calories.
The most important benefits to swimming have been psychological. Whilst under water you are away from all the noise and distraction of life on the land. The monotony of the strokes up and down the length of the pool have a sort of meditative quality that can be very calming, and of course there is something soothing about being in water.

Tips to get the most benefits in swimming:

Use a wet suit especially if you tend to get cold easily
Wear goggles and bathing cap to help protect your eyes from your hair and water and to foster proper breathing techniques.
It's easy to get carried away in the water. Think about what you are doing first so you can be coordinated. Your breathing, the movements of your arms and legs as well as your body position should all move towards the same direction.
Learn to relax and enjoy your swimming lessons.

Different Strokes:

Breaststroke: The breaststroke involves exquisite timing, and in fact, you can be disqualified from competition if you miss even one stroke.

The leg kick:

Bring the knees to chest.
Thrust the legs backward and straight.
Snap the legs together to push the water and propel you forward (frog kick).

The arm stroke:

Start with the arms overhead.
Pull on the water, and bring arms toward the chest.
Keep the hands cupped.
Return arms to starting position.

The breathing:

Breathe every time you stroke with your arms.

Butterfly: Like the breaststroke, this is a difficult stroke and not recommended for beginners because it requires perfect timing and a good deal of strength.

The leg kick:

Bend the knees slightly, and keep them together.
Make a downward thrust by straightening the knees and whipping the feet downward.
There should be two kicks for every arm stroke.

The arm stroke:

Move the arms together, and pull through the water with the hands cupped.
Face the palms outward, and press down and outward.
Swing the arms forward above the water in a sweeping motion to complete the stroke.

The breathing:

Breathe at the end of the arm stroke.

Backstroke: The backstroke is easier than the butterfly or breaststroke and similar to the crawl in that you use an alternate windmill arm stroke and flutter kick.

The leg kick:

It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (they should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the up-kick for propulsion.

The arm stroke:

Move the arms in an alternating, windmill pattern as they rotate and pass your face.
Cup the hands, and the thumb leaves the water first.
Move the hands in an "S" pattern when they are pushing the water.

The breathing:

Keep your head back and eyes toward the ceiling.
You can find your own breathing pattern with the backstroke because the breathing is less coordinated with the arms and kick than other strokes since your head should always be out of the water.

Crawl (Freestyle): This is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn.

The leg kick:

It's a flutter kick where the legs kick in an alternating order.
Bend the knees slightly.
Relax the feet and ankles (they should be almost floppy).
Emphasize the down-kick for propulsion.

The arm stroke:

Move the arms in an alternating windmill motion.
Pull each arm through the water with equal strength and arm reach to ensure that you swim straight.
Pull arms underwater in an "S" pattern.
Cup the hands but keep the wrist and hand relaxed during recovery.

The breathing:

Raise one arm to begin the stroke. As the shoulder rises, turn the head to catch a breath.
Turn the head only enough to leave the water to breathe. Do not lift the head because it will slow you down.
Take as many breaths as necessary and then exhale through the nose and mouth when the head returns to the water.
Repeat the head turn to the other side in coordination with the beginning of the opposite arm stroke.
Beginners start their swimming trainings with three minutes of continuous swimming, and then have a short respite and one more time for three minutes swim. Who copes with this program without any problems can proceed to the following steps: to swim continuously ten minutes, and then twenty minutes in fast rate. If you want to get heart health benefits, just swim not less than 3 times in a week

Swimming is categorized as an aerobic exercise because even a few laps take more than 3 minutes and the use of oxygen by the muscles is tremendous. Apart from the use of the muscle groups, swimming also helps keep the joints flexible especially hip, neck, shoulders and limbs. Swimming is a good choice for those who cannot take up weight bearing exercise, especially those with arthritis, back problems, weight problems or pregnancy. It's a great exercise for everyone!

swiming-pool