Swimming laps: a great way to recharge the body and mind during summer heat.
Now that the dog days of summer are upon us, it's refreshing to head to a lap pool for fitness needs. For many weekend fitness warriors, the ninety-degree heat rules out walking, jogging, or even tennis. Enter lap swimming to pick up the slack.
Because the face is submerged underwater every few seconds, swimming laps requires the lungs to take in large amounts of air. When the swimmer's face tilts up for a breath, the lungs take the opportunity to increase their intake of air. By the end of a half hour or 45-minute swim, fresh oxygen has recharged every muscle and organ in the body.
Swimming is not a resistance activity in the traditional sense, which means it doesn't help strengthen bones the way weight lifting, running, or dancing can. But the flip side of the buoyancy of swimming is that it provides relief to the body's joints. With the weight of the water supporting the swimmer's body, synovial fluid lubricates the joints, allowing for greater mobility once the swimmer walks and runs again.
Muscles
Although swimming laps doesn't strengthen bones, it's a great way to improve muscular strength. Who doesn't admire the smooth, elongated muscles of Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe or US Olympian Michael Phelps?
Mind
The repetitive motion of lap swimming combined with the 30 minutes to an hour that you slice through the water, make it an ideal activity to practice meditation in motion. Leave the cares of the day on the pool deck and let the weight of the water support you. Take deep breaths, and feel the tension in your body fade. The cool turquoise water envelops you and soon your heart and lungs, working in tandem, energize limbs and brain alike.
Tips for an enjoyable swim:
- If you're not physically fit, check with a medical doctor before starting a swimming program.
- Invest in a comfortable pair of goggles that don't leak. They range from $6.00 to $30.00. Try rubbing some Vaseline around the inside rim of the goggles. It helps prevent water leaking in, and allows you to ease the tightness of the strap.
- Wet your hair before swimming, apply hair conditioner, and then put on a bathing cap. Your hair will thank you, since chlorine can turn beautiful locks into straw.
- Vary your stroke. Breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle work on different muscles of the body, and give you a rest from the repetitive movements of just one stroke. An informative website for tailor-made workouts is Swim Info.
- Use a kickboard to strengthen your legs.
- Use a pull bouy between your legs to work on strengthening your upper body.
- To keep your swimming spirits bouyant, refer to The United States Masters Swimming.
