If You Need To Lose Weight Then Try Swimming

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Swimming is a gentle, yet effective, whole body workout that provides so many health benefits. It helps to improve your stamina, your lung function, helps you to relax, helps you lose weight, and of course knowing how to swim could one day safe your life too!

Swimming is also a great type of exercise because it is one of the few that can be done by people of any fitness level, and at almost any age. It is the fact your body is supported by the water which means older people, and people who are not used to working out, can still enjoy it without stressing their joints too much. The result is a full body workout that supports the joints and keeps them supple and strong, without subjecting them to high loads like when you are pounding on a pavement or treadmill.

Not only does swimming provide one of the most effective workouts on its own, it can also help to improve the quality of land based exercises as well. If you go for a brief swim before going out for a jog, or maybe doing some rock climbing etc, then it is a great way to warm up your muscles and make sure they are nice and pliable ready to do what you need. Or you could try swimming after other exercise as a great way to cool down your body and relax the muscles.

As well as the host of physical benefits from swimming, it can also offer mental benefits too because it helps you to unwind after a stressful day at work. The calming effect of the water lapping against your body, along with the fact all the weight is taken off your body, helps your mind to wander and you to relax. People who swim on a regular basis also tend to have higher self-esteem, more self-discipline, and are better able to set and stick to goals.

People who are looking to lose a lot of weight can really get the most benefit out of swimming. When you are overweight you are putting undue stress on your joints, so exercising often puts more stress on them. With swimming then as the water supports your weight, then you don’t have that problem. On average you can expect to burn about 3 calories, per pound of bodyweight, per mile swum. So for example, if you swam a mile in your session, and you weigh a total of 200 pounds, then you can expect to burn close to six hundred calories. Don’t forget that your weight loss results, and the calories you burn, will depend on how often you go, how far you swim, and how quickly you swim that distance too (the intensity of the exercise). You can see now why I think swimming is one of the best ways to lose weight, and one of the best ways to get or stay fit as well, even if you don’t need to lose any weight.

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