July 2002
While the weather is heating up, we all tend to look for a place to cool down. Water sports and summertime just seem to go hand in hand. Whether your liquid oasis is a lake or a neighborhood swimming pool, take advantage of the water and jump in for some fitness fun!
Swimming provides all three of the main fitness components: cardiovascular work, strength training, and flexibility. Swimming is one of the few sports that depend on the upper body as well as the lower body muscles. There are four basic strokes to choose from: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. Most recreational swimmers stick with freestyle also known as the crawl. Simply submerge your body, and swim laps for at least 20 minutes for a full body workout!
Swimming is safe and effective. Water’s natural buoyancy supports about 90 percent of your body weight, so there’s no painful jarring of your joints and very little chance of injury. Water is also 14 times thicker than air so if offers plenty of muscle toning resistance in any direction you move. This sport is not only fun, it burns calories and slims the body. Like any form of exercise, make sure you hydrate well, drinking water before and after your swim. Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen.
Have a splash!!