Be In The Swim-What's Your Swimming IQ?

When it comes to exercise, there are essentially two elements that one works out in.  Obviously, AIR (Duh!), but the other is water.  And water is a whole different ballgame to exercise in.  Your body has to adapt to temperature, buoyancy and the reality of pushing through a substance. To push through that water is what were affectionately call 'swimming'.  Although, sometimes the way one strokes through the water isn't called that (can we say 'doggy paddle?) :-)  


Swimming has been around a very long time, dating back to Egyptian times where clay tablets were found with figures performing the crawl stroke in 4000BC.  Organized swimming started around the 1800's and was added to the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.


The strokes of swimming have evolved greatly over the last 150 years.  When swimming for time or distance, it is important to be pushing water, not air (in the form of bubbles) for maximum benefit.  The way you move through the water efficiently is critical, especially when competing.  The top strokes used in swimming are breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly and crawl (freestyle). The breaststroke and butterfly are more difficult to execute than the backstroke and crawl. One tip is to keep your fingers closed through any stroke so as to catch and push more water through for speed and efficiency.  Another tip is when your hands enter the water on any of those strokes, so execute a slight S curve through the water-it has been shown to improve efficiency of propulsion.


Swimming is a highly effective way to burn calories, as well as build strength and endurance, especially cardiovascular endurance. "Swimming burns lots of calories, anywhere from 500-650 per hour depending on how efficiently you swim (you burn more flopping around than swimming cleanly!) and how buoyant you are (the more body fat you have, the more you float and the fewer calories it takes to swim). Very early and original research on swimming and calorie expenditure showed that swimming, regardless of the stroke, burned about 89% of the calories burned during running and 97% of the calories burned during cycling for the same time period. Stated another way, swimming burns about 11% fewer calories than running but only 3% fewer calories than biking. One important caveat about this data is that calorie expenditure is dependent on the intensity of exercise, and so it's entirely possible to burn more calories swimming than running in the same period of time as long as you swim hard enough, and particularly so if compared to running at light intensity." (http://www.medicinenet.com/swimming)


The really positive aspect to swimming is that it is low-impact on the joints, which is ideal for people who have arthritis or are in rehabilitation with an injury.  Because of the ease on the joints, one can still build muscle mass and increase their cardiovascular endurance without the   impact and stress on joints from exercising on land.


The best part is that swimming is what I call a 'lifetime' skill.  It is a skill that is normally taught as a child and can be used until one reaches the age of 100 or more.  In fact, there is a swimming category for 100-104-year-old age group in the United States Masters Swimming Program!  


In conclusion, swimming is an amazing activity to add to a regimen of weight-bearing exercises.  With such great benefits, get started today at your local athletic club or YMCA.