Swimming for Fitness
February 28, 2018
McKayla Dyk – Marketing Employee
According to the Better Health Channel, there are multiple benefits to swimming. Whether it be for recreation or competition, swimming can improve your heart health, muscle tone, and mood.
When you swim, you have the opportunity to exercise every part of your body through five main strokes. These main strokes are the backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke, freestyle, and butterfly. The butterfly stroke will give you the most effective workout, using several different muscles at once, but all of them have different health benefits.
1. Backstroke: Great workout for your arms and your core. Can especially benefit runners and weight lifters.
2. Breaststroke: Not the best workout if you’re looking to burn calories, but it’s great for strengthening your heart and lungs while toning your chest.
3. Sidestroke: Not as straining as other strokes, the sidestroke is great for long-distance swimming and building endurance.
4. Freestyle: Similar to the sidestroke, the freestyle stroke allows for speed and distance. It is a full-body workout that will really tone your back and chest. But unlike the sidestroke, this stroke requires more coordination and effort in breathing properly.
5. Butterfly: Allowing you to burn more calories than the other strokes, this stroke requires coordination of the arms and legs. This is a full-body workout but focuses mostly on shoulder and arm strength.
Along with the muscle toning benefits, swimming can reduce stress. Although swimming improves cardiac health, it is not your typical, dripping-with-sweat, hard-core cardio workout. Swimming can actually be very relaxing. In essence, you are exercising your mind and body by building endurance.
If you are interested in reaping the benefits of swimming, make it a regular part of your exercise routine by visiting the new Natatorium on campus near the intramural fields. Our Rec Swim hours can be found on our website.