Swimming

SWIMMING AS AN EXERCISE

Swimming everybody likes swimming don’t they? Well may be not. I do and I think it is probably a good cardio exercise that would go nicely along side a weight training program. So lets find out…

The Negatives

Again I can’t think of any real negatives to swimming. It has been said that swimming to lose weight is probably not as good as other cardio exercises. This isn’t because you don’t burn calories while you are swimming, you do. But because you are in water your body doesn’t get as hot, so when you get out of the pool your body doesn’t have to work to cool you down like it would if you had been for a run. So after a good swim although you would have burnt calories while you were swimming, your body won’t carry on burning as many calories afterwards like it would if you had been cycling.

The Positives

The obvious one again is that swimming is good for your health. The lungs and heart benefit from swimming in the same way as running or cycling. The muscles certainly get a workout, but with swimming you are using practically all your muscles. The advantage with swimming is that there are no strains on any joints. When you run you are pounding your body from one leg to another and this can effect some peoples knees or ankle joints, with swimming this doesn’t happen.

My Thoughts

I love swimming and if I could afford to have my own swimming pool then I would probably swim everyday. But I haven’t and the nearest pool to me is about 20km, so I might go occasionally but not everyday. But if you like swimming and you have a pool close to you then it is definitely worth considering this great cadio exercise as your choice of exercise to go with your weight training program.

I hope you have enjoyed the last 3 posts about cardio exercises and although I haven’t gone in to great depth about each exercise, I hope it has given you a pointer on each one. The thing to remember is that all 3 exercises are good for you, but you should consult your Doctor before you start any exercise program. Your Doctor can check that your body is healthy enough to take on these exercises and can answer any questions you might have about them.

So good luck with which ever one you choose.