Swimming as a form of Exercise

Swimming is said to be an excellent activity for anyone who wishes to get fit and stay active. It is also one of the most popular and effective forms of aerobic exercise. This activity uses more of the overall muscles of the body, so people could get an upper-body and lower-body workout, unlike running or biking or any other activities like tennis, where in you can only get a good work-out in just the legs. Among the aerobic exercises, it is believed to reduce the harmful effects of stress.

Generally, swimming is a great form of exercise because the density of the human body is just similar to the density of the water, therefore, the body is supported by the water and less stress is placed on joints and bones. Water exercise is good for people who are overweight or those who are prevented from taking part in other activities because of injuries and other physical limitations. Swimming exercise is recommended in rehabilitations after injuries or for the disabled and it is also safe for older people and pregnant women.

In swimming, the arms and upper body is worked out more than the legs. In competitive swimming, excessive leg muscles can be a disadvantage as they consume more oxygen which would be needed for the muscles in the arms, but this depends on the style of swimming. In breaststrokes, it mainly generates significant movement with the legs, front crawl propels the body mainly with the arms.
Swimming and other forms of water exercise, such as water aerobics, offer a remarkable cardiovascular benefit and are the form of exercise that work out the whole body. Primarily, swimming is an aerobic exercise due to the relatively long exercise time, requiring a constant oxygen supply to the muscles. Particularly, water aerobics put a lot less stress on the knee and hip joints than any other aerobic activities. When a person is on the water, they don’t have that pounding and compression on the joints, so they are able to exercise much more pain free. Furthermore, if the water is warm, water exercise is good for people with severe arthritis.

Swimming and water aerobics are excellent exercise for the elderly, as long as the primary aim is not to improve osteoporosis.