Health and WellnessExercises & Fitness Swimming

Swimming is an excellent all-round fitness activity for the young and old. It helps improve strength, stamina and suppleness all at the same time. It is also recommended for people prone to or with injuries as it is low-impact - the water supports your body weight, taking stress off from your joints and putting no pressure on your knees, hips or back. This is a great activity for pregnant mothers too as the water buoyancy helps in supporting the body, (although breaststroke is best avoided during pregnancy).

Swimming can be done at your own pace, and is easier to keep at than running, or riding a bike, allowing your stamina will build up. Swimming also provides a good cardiovascular workout, though it relies more on your upper body. Extra focus on legs in separate aerobic work-outs will increase your overall aerobic fitness.

More benefits of swimming:

• it is an ideal sport for asthmatics
• swimming is a social sport
• it is a low injury sport, especially if you are a beginner
• it is ideal as a rehabilitation sport
• it provides an alternative workout for athletes who wish to tone their upper body, like runners
• research studies show that swimming reduces stress levels and makes you feel more relaxed
• Swimming a variety of backstroke, front crawl (freestyle) and breast stroke will use all major muscle groups: abdominals, biceps and triceps, gluteals, hamstrings and quadriceps