Is Swimming the Best Exercise to Lose Weight With?
We are constantly told to lose weight by exercising more. Well the problem I see with that is if you are overweight then you are already putting excess strain on your body, and in particular your joints, just by walking around. Swimming gets round this as it helps to support your joints as you exercise and is low impact, then once you have lost weight you can move onto higher impact exercises like jogging or playing tennis.
Unlike other forms of exercise, swimming is an activity that can be done throughout just about every time period in your life. Swimming is a great, safe, crosstraining exercise that allows for a great workout without putting the body under too much stress. The muscles in your upper body will get the most workout, followed by your legs, but the whole body is worked to some extent. Water workouts can vary in intensity but do not have the pounding or harsh effects on the joints that can be associated with many land-based exercises.
Going for a swim on a regular basis helps to build overall strength, endurance, and can improve cardiovascular health. As well as being great exercise in itself, then swimming can give you increased flexibility and endurance for when you try other things. Having a short swim before you go for a walk or a jog etc can help you to warm up and get the heart pumping. Or it can be a great way to cool down after a workout too. Making just a few laps can help your body relax, cool down, and get blood flowing to muscle groups quicker, which will aid in repair.
There are a few therapeutic benefits to swimming as well. After a long, stressful day, a nice swim can help relax not only the muscles, but also the mind. Water has been shown to have many calming and soothing effects. Many people let their minds empty as they swim along, letting the floating feeling and gentle rhythm of their strokes wash away their troubles. It is not only relaxing, but as swimmers often set goals on the number of laps they complete then by reaching those goals it helps to develop discipline and raise self-esteem.
So swimming is a great form of exercise for weight loss and weight maintenance. It allows you to burn approximately 3 calories per mile, per pound of bodyweight. So for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, and you swim one mile in half an hour, you will burn about 450 calories. The amount of calories actually burned will of course vary based on the intensity of your workout. But with all of these great health benefits, swimming may just be the perfect workout!
If you are looking to lose weight then check out this article on overcoming a weight loss plateau.