Swim Your Way to Fitness

In the month of January, many of us have made our New Year’s resolution to get fit. Eating healthy and adding in exercise are some of the top ways to make this happen. At ToySplash, we know that swimming is one of the best forms of exercise out there. Whether you live in a state where backyard pools are a normal occurrence or you are in one of the states enduring the Polar Vortex right now, the fact is there is usually a pool somewhere nearby. Whether it’s an indoor pool at the local YMCA or family recreation center or the pool that’s a few short steps from your back door, you can swim your way to fitness in no time at all!

Not sure swimming is for you? Read some of the amazing health and wellness benefits that swimming offers:

Swimming offers something no other aerobic exercise does: the ability to work your body without harsh impact to your skeletal system. When the body is submerged in water, it automatically becomes lighter. With water all the way to the neck, you only have to bear 10 percent of your own weight. The other 90 percent is handled by the pool. This means that the pool provides an ideal place to work stiff muscles and sore joints, especially if you’re overweight or suffer from arthritis.
Swimming is a great way to increase muscular strength and muscle tone. A swimmer is propelling herself through water — a substance about twelve times as dense as air so every kick and every arm stroke becomes a resistance exercise. It’s well known that resistance exercises are the best way to build muscle tone and strength. Swimming has also been shown to improve bone strength — especially in post-menopausal women.
Swimming puts the body through a broad range of motion that helps joints and ligaments stay loose and flexible.
Since swimming is an aerobic exercise, it serves to strengthen the heart, not only helping it to become larger, but making it more efficient in pumping. This leads to better blood flow throughout your body. Research also shows that aerobic exercise can combat the body’s inflammatory response. The American Heart Association reports that just 30 minutes of exercise per day, such as swimming, can reduce coronary heart disease in women by 30 to 40 percent.
Swimming is now recognized as one of the biggest calorie burners around, and it’s great for keeping weight under control. Depending on the stroke and intensity of your swimming, you can burn from 60-150 calories in each 10-minutes of swimming. In addition, your overall cholesterol health will improve as well.
Improved lung capacity is another benefit of swimming thus helping asthma sufferers. Even those without asthma could benefit from swimming as the exercise can increase lung volume and teach proper breathing techniques.
Aerobic exercise, like swimming, is a great way to ward off diabetes. Staying active and eating a healthy diet are extremely helpful in keeping blood sugar levels in a healthy place.
William Wilson wrote in the 1883 book, “The Swimming Instructor”: “the experienced swimmer, when in the water, may be classed among the happiest of mortals in the happiest of moods, and in the most complete enjoyment of the happiest of exercises” likely due to the release of feel-good chemicals known as endorphins — one of swimming’s most pleasant side effects. This is due in large part to the constant stretching and relaxing of your muscles combined with deep rhythmic breathing. Swimming is also a meditative exercise, with the sound of your own breathing and the splash of the water acting as a mantra of sorts that can help you “drown out” all other distractions.

ready to swim your way to fitness?

Make sure you have the right gear. We recommend spending a little cash on a top quality swimsuit. In the long run, it’s just a good decision. Better quality suits will hold up to the chlorine, chemicals, salt, and sun that your swimsuit is asked to endure. A top-quality swimsuit will fit you better and stay in place. You will even look better in more expensive swimwear! If you’re not sure where to find the best in swimming fashion, check out this link.

You may want to think about wearing a swimming pool cap if you plan to be in the water on a regular basis. Swim caps will protect your hair from the harsh effects of chlorine and other chemicals. Not everyone wants to have green hair!

Invest in a good pair of swim goggles. Protecting your eyes from those same chemicals is the way to go. Goggles will also give you a much clearer vision of where you’re swimming.

Ear plugs and nose clips are also handy accessories to have. Ear plugs help you avoid swimmer’s ear; a nasty, little annoying problem. Nose clips are helpful in avoiding post-swim nasal drip.

If you want to add some interest to you’re water workout, why not try a Swim Trainer Pool Cord? Even if you don’t have access to a large pool, you can still train like a pro with this fitness accessory. This gentle, self-centering, body harness attaches to your midsection and then to the side of your pool or to a fixed point like a tree or pool fence. You can swim and swim for the perfect workout. From butterfly to freestyle, you can do it all.

Want to change up your water workout? Why not try weight lifting in the pool? With a fitness set constructed specifically for workouts in the water, you’re muscles will get an amazing workout while you stay cool in the pool!

Move your workout to the pool and make this year’s resolution a reality!