SWIM YOUR WAY TO A TONED BODY AND HEALTHY HEART

Having been born and brought up in a small coastal town, where access to water was just a few steps away was much fun. During school days we had subscription for a full year in a nearby members’ only club, where students were the majority members who frequented the place every afternoon for a swim. Away from school we had free Indian Ocean to ourselves to swim in the whole day if need be. Going to swimming galas was one of my favourite past times too. There we had the privilege of meeting the greatest swimmers and admiring how swimming had toned their bodies. These are the times that I remember with nostalgia. Sometimes I wonder what would have become of me if it was not for the almost daily swimming that I used to practise back then. Coastal foods is usually very fatty, full of coconut cream making it a health hazard every time you put food into your mouth. We gained weight quickly but even as quickly we lost the extra weight because of the daily swimming, and that made me a good swimmer. Despite my body stature today I still swim to stay fit. Swimming is a great activity. It tones the entire body while providing an excellent cardiovascular workout; it strengthens the heart muscle and improves delivery of oxygen to muscles. And it can also be a relaxing activity. The benefits of swimming include; Swimming helps maintain the blood pressure and cholesterol of a person, thus ensuring the well being of his/her heart.It is good for the health of your lungs and also reduces the risk of stroke, heart attack and diabetes. Swimming enhances the flexibility of your joints and provides the scope for boosting your physical activity workout level. In other words, it helps a great deal in your weight loss program. It is perfect for those people who have a hard time carrying out weight-bearing, land-based physical activities. This is because your weight in water is about 1/10 of your weight on land. For pregnant women as well as for people who are suffering from arthritis and back pain problem, there can be no better workout choice than swimming. Swimming minimizes the risk of injuries from physical activity. So, you can easily try out the delightful exercise and enjoy the health fitness benefits it offers, without any attached risk.If indulged in on a regular basis, swimming can help build the endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness of a person. You can indulge in swimming before as well as after a strenuous workout on ground, as a warm-up and cool-down activity, respectively. It helps a person exercise almost all the muscles of his/her body, with the main focus being on arms and legs.The people suffering from injuries, back pain, arthritis and disabilities, who cannot indulge in a normal workout, can undertake swimming. Swimming has been associated with relieving the joint pains, high blood pressure and discomfort that are often experienced during pregnancy. Indulging in swimming can help post-surgery patients, who adopt an otherwise sedentary lifestyle, avoid muscular atrophy. It is found to have soothing effect on the mind as well as the body of a person, mainly by regulating breathing and stimulating circulation. Swimming is considered to be the best exercise a man can do. It is one of those few exercises in which all of your body parts are used. It’s an effective exercise that will help you to keep in good shape, loose weight and remain healthy. You will feel more refreshed and will be physically fit than most people who do not swim. Most people get bored of performing a single exercise but swimming is one of those exercises that won’t let you get bored. No matter what people say swimming is the safest and most effective form of physical exercise these days. Ends

Lifestyle

SWIM YOUR WAY TO A TONED BODY AND HEALTHY HEART