Swimming exercise benefits

Above about swimming exercise benefits.

Swimming is a demanding exercise. It uses all the major muscle groups. The muscles used in swimming vary from stroke to stroke. However strokes like breaststroke, backstroke and free style uses all the major muscle groups - abdominal, biceps and triceps, gluteals, hamstrings and quadriceps. Apart from the use of the muscle groups, swimming also helps keep the joints flexible especially hip, neck, shoulders and limbs.
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. Swimming has its benefits, which include a decrease in blood pressure, which reduces the risk of having a stroke. It reduces your resting heart rate and increases your cardiac input, which results in more blood being pumped by the heart to the rest of the body. It also reduces your resting respiratory rate, increases blood flow to the lungs and helps burn calories. When you're aerobically fit, your body makes use of oxygen to sustain movement more efficiently.
According to the U.S. Water Fitness Association (USWFA), water exercise offers many physical, social and mental benefits:

• Improved strength and flexibility
• Better muscular endurance and balance (Many professional and amateur athletes cross-train in the water)
• A stronger heart
• Enhanced physique or figure
• Improved circulation
• Rehabilitation therapy for used or healing muscles and recovery from accidents and injuries
• Weight control
• Relief from stress and tension
• Increased energy

There is a misconception that swimming is not a very great form of exercise as you do not actually 'sweat it out'. There are many different approaches to swimming and water exercise, be it lap swimming or water aerobics, that can benefit your heart, lungs and muscles. There are different types of exercises that can be done in water.

• Water Walking and Jogging - Walking and jogging in water have similar benefits to walking and jogging on land but with lesser injuries. Walking and jogging in water can be done when you are waist or chest deep in water. Water provides resistance when you walk and jog making it all the more effective.
• Water Aerobics - As mentioned earlier, this provides cardio-vascular movements. Aerobics normally involves rhythmic movement. The same can be done in water for about 20 minutes or so. The resistance by the water makes the workout more strenuous thereby more effective.
• Water Yoga and Relaxation - Gentle and easy flowing movements are part of water yoga. The water proves to be a relaxing medium.
• Flexibility Training - Full body movements and stretches are done for flexibility training.
• Water Toning and Strengthening - Movement of the upper body and lower body. Sometimes equipment is used, though water resistance suffices. It aids in strengthening, firming and sculpting the muscles.
• Deep water jogging and running - Here the feet do not touch the bottom of the pool. Jogging and running is done in deep water. Flotation belts and devices are used with various drills, methods and running styles.
• Wall Exercises - The pool wall is used for support and separate parts of the body are exercised.
• Stretching - Slow movements are done and held for a period of time after warm up and after each workout. This helps stretch the muscles that have been worked out and also helps in avoiding soreness.
• Lap Swimming - This is a common form of swimming exercise. Lap swimming can be done using different strokes and is an option for fitness exercise. You can start off with one or two laps so that you can complete without straining. Gradually the number of laps can be increased.