Swimming Laps: Why It’s Good for You
It can feel like there’s a steep learning curve to swimming laps, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. As long as you know how to swim, this delightful and effective form of exercise is quite accessible.
Exercise can help us feel better, both physically and mentally. Swimming is a kind of exercise that you can be just as happy about while you’re doing it as you are once you’re out of the water.
If you’ve ever wondered about the many benefits of swimming laps, this is the article for you. Grab your favorite one piece swimsuit and get ready to follow along.
Swimming Is a Great Form of Aerobic Exercise
When many of us think of cardio, we think of huffing and puffing as a result of strenuous activity. Some of us might enjoy this prospect more than others, but many people find working out in the water to be a more comfortable method of cardio exercise.
What Is Aerobic Exercise?
In short, aerobic exercise is a workout that elevates your heart rate and oxygen intake. It provides cardiovascular conditioning, which also earns it the popular name “cardio.”
Cardio workouts have a whole host of benefits (which we will discuss in a bit), but swimming provides other necessary forms of exercise, too. Swimming laps in a swimming pool helps immensely with strength training and can also work wonders to improve balance.
Before you start your aerobic workout, be sure to warm up. During this warm-up, you should begin the process of getting your body moving. This eases your body into exercise mode, allowing you to get the most out of your workout without hurting yourself.
In addition to warming up before your workout, you should also always cool down afterward. Many people like to take this opportunity to stretch and slow down their heart rate.
What Are the Benefits of Aerobic Physical Activity?
As you may have guessed from its ability to assist with cardiovascular conditioning, aerobic exercise is wonderful for your heart, and as it strengthens your heart, it may also help lower the risk of heart disease. Getting sufficient cardio can help regulate blood pressure and can be an integral part of weight loss.
Exercising in the Water Is Easier on Your Joints
It’s important for us to stay fit throughout all the different stages of life, but the methods we use to feel our best might change as we get older. Where our joints may not have been a large concern previously, it’s now important to know a few low-impact ways to get our cardio in.
Running, for instance, is one of the most popular forms of aerobic exercise. However, the act of repeatedly hitting your feet against asphalt, grass, or any other surface forces your knees and ankles to bear the brunt of your weight. This repeated shock absorption can be very unpleasant on the body, especially if arthritis or other joint issues are a concern.
Swimming offers a welcome reprieve for those looking for a comfortable yet invigorating form of cardio. Swimming lacks the harsh shock absorption that can occur during running or walking. Water can also be more comfortable as its natural buoyancy helps us to float, keeping the weight off our joints.
Swimming Laps Can Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals
Everyone’s fitness goals are different, and that’s what makes working out so interesting. Some people might have a goal weight in mind, while others might just want to feel their best. No matter what you hope to achieve through swimming laps, remember to set goals for yourself.
These goals should be attainable yet aspirational. So that you never get frustrated or perceive a lack of progress, make sure to have smaller goals that build up to help you reach one larger goal. These smaller goals can serve as benchmarks to track your progress while reminding you that your hard work is worthwhile.
You’ll Never Get Bored of Your Swim Workout
One of our favorite benefits of a swim workout is its versatility. No two exercise sessions have to look exactly the same. You can vary the length of your session and the number of laps you do, and add in equipment like a kickboard, flippers, swim caps, swim goggles, and more.
Perhaps the greatest means of customization, though, comes from the many different swimming strokes you can use.
Whether you prefer to do the backstroke, butterfly, or just freestyle, you can benefit from swimming laps. You can vary which strokes you do throughout your swim training, or you can focus on one to really hone your skills and improve your form.
Certain strokes also target different muscle groups. Some target the upper body, while others may target the lower body. Determining which strokes are right for you will occur by combining what you enjoy with your fitness goals.
It’s Fun and Challenging for All Fitness Levels
Beginners, pros, and everyone in between can agree on one universal truth: swimming is a fun way to work out.
Sure, the way a professional athlete swims will look different from someone trying out a local swimming program, but any type of swimming is effective. As long as you know how to swim, just about anyone can enjoy this activity.
The key to a good workout is doing whatever works for you, not what works for anyone else. Think about your individual goals, as well as what you hope to get out of the experience. There are so many worthwhile benefits of swimming, both physical and mental. As you improve at swimming, you can add more laps to your routine or try new strokes.
Swimming Can Target the Whole Body, Not Just Certain Muscle Groups
Since we use most of our bodies to keep us steady in the lap pool, swimming is one of the few forms of exercise that engages just about all of our muscle groups.
Lap swimmers engage different muscles depending on if they’re treading water or utilizing a stroke that focuses more on their arms or legs. This means that you can still target strength training to an extent, but the rest of your body will get a thorough work out too.
What To Wear While Swimming
Making the right choice about what to wear in the pool sets the scene for a productive and successful workout. After all, you need a swimsuit that’s comfortable, moveable, appropriate, and preferably flattering. Luckily, Maxine Swim has an abundance of high-quality garments that look great both in and out of the pool.
Practicality and elegance shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. That’s why we offer so many swimsuits, coverups, and more for those who want to glide through the water and look as confident as the lifeguard while doing it.
Sources:
12 Benefits of Swimming: Weight Loss, Better Sleep and More | Women's Health
Aerobic Exercise Health: What Is It, Benefits & Examples | Cleveland Clinic