Swimming is a great sport. It not only helps you to be fit like a fiddle, it is a great stress buster, calorie burner, and mood lifter too. Also it gives you a total body workout in one single session. ‘Swimming is a safe form of exercise for anyone from age two to 60. And if you are overweight there are more reasons why you should swim. Because no other activity will make you burn calories like swimming to help you get trimmer,’ says Vibhas Sen, a Paralympic national level swimmer from Mumbai.
Here’s how Swimming Can Help You Lose Weight…
It’s good cardio
Swimming uses so many muscles in your body, your heart and lungs work hard to supply them with oxygen. Which is why it provides a great cardio workout. Beginners can swim half an hour to complete 15-20 laps for a good cardio workout. Depending on your weight and exertion level, experts estimate you can burn between 90-550 extra calories in a half-hour session.
It’s good aerobics
Swimming is known to be one of the best all round aerobic exercises because the strokes work all the major muscle groups, targeting every area of your body. With Freestyle, you get proper toning and alignment of body, the Breaststroke is great for your thighs, Backstroke helps create good back posture and the Butterfly is really good for the shoulders. You burn more calories while doing Freestyle, and the workout isn’t limited to just shoulders or thighs (like other strokes). It has an equal effect on all parts of the body..
It’s good resistance training
Battling against the water to propel your body forward is a great way to increase strength, especially in the upper body. As your swimming progresses you will build muscle, which, in turn, burns fat. You will also burn an increased amount of calories even after the exercise is finished as your body uses energy to recover and rebuild muscle tissue. Swimmers gain a lot of strength without even with a smaller body frame.
It improves flexibility
Due to the nature of the movement, when performing swimming strokes, it can aid in improving the flexibility of the muscles and joints. It helps you pursue and excel at other activities like dancing as well as athletics, which requires a lot of flexibility.
It’s risk-free
Swimming is the only sport where you are safe from injuries. in fact, swimming helps aligns the body.
And apart from aiding weight-loss, swimming also makes you feel really good to be inside the water. Water therapy energizes your body, relaxes your soul and disciplines your mind.
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