When you pay the to join a gym, particularly the cost of membership, you also have access to the gym’s swimming pools, among other members’ privileges. There’s then no excuse to skip swimming as an exercise, especially as it’s a low-impact, full-body workout. But don’t dive headlong into swimming just because the water’s as inviting as can be.
Instead, be sure to know a few important things including the benefits of swimming and the ways of adopting is as your exercise of choice. You will find that in being prepared, you will also maximize the benefits of swimming and minimize its risks. Yes, there are safety risks in swimming, such as contracting infections from contaminated water and getting drowned, so it’s important to be aware of them.
Why Choose Swimming
As we previously mentioned, swimming is a low-impact exercise yet it provides high yields. It’s a great way to become fitter – and maintain your fit body, for that matter – while minimizing the risk of injuries that most high-impact exercises give. It’s performed in water so the body feels lighter and quicker, a combination that makes it easier to perform a wide range of movements that can be dangerous on land.
Swimming is also a highly recommended exercise for people who lead active lives yet cannot engage in running, jumping, and sprinting, among other high-impact exercises. You can still continue with your cardiovascular exercises without worsening your injury.
If you have stiff joints and/or tense muscles, you will benefit from swimming, too. Swimming works in two ways for this purpose: first, the warmth of the heated water relaxes the joints and muscles; and second, the water allows for decreased weight-bearing strain.
Most important, swimming is a full-body workout. Everything from your neck to your feet has to move in order to propel yourself from one end of the pool to the next.
With these benefits, you should get started swimming as a workout at a fitness gym such as LA Fitness, which usually has a large olympic-style pool to swim in. If you’re thinking you can’t afford that, think again. According to price listing website, Pricelisto.com, monthly membership at LA Fitness can be as low as $30.99.
How to Get Started on Swimming
But it’s important to be prepared before plunging into a pool. Keep in mind that new exercises performed with incorrect technique, form and/or posture poses higher risk of injury. Your body, for one thing, isn’t used to the movements yet, especially if it’s your first time to engage in swimming as a full-body workout.
Here’s our recommended action plan for beginners to swimming as an exercise.
- Don’t run before you can walk, so to speak. You have adopt a gradual approach by starting with once-a-week swimming and then slowly progressing to three times a week, if your fitness goals call for it.
- Do enroll in a class with a certified swimming instructor. You shouldn’t have an issue in this regard with the Anytime Fitness classes. You will be provided with expert guidance in your swimming technique, intensity and duration, among other matters.
- Do practice your breathing technique. You have to remember that it’s important to breathe properly when you’re in the water to get the full benefits of swimming and to prevent getting water into your lungs.
