by William Benetton
Now, the majority of the people who engage in swimming do it as a means of easing off or a pastime. They enjoy the feeling they get when they move out from the hot sun of the day and cool their bodies in the chilling and nice pool water. Some others go to the pools because of the fun they enjoy while frolicking inside the water like they just turned 10, and others enjoy the view and ambiance they get when they are inside the cool water. There are some others that enjoy the games they play with their friends and family members while inside the pool water and this makes them crave for it every now and then. Another set will always long to go swimming in the pools because of the sexy half-clad ladies they always encounter in and around the pool. But little do they know that swimming actually benefits them in many other ways that are actually invaluable. It helps to shape and tone their body and also exercises their muscles and veins to keep them at optimum functionality and eventually makes them healthier.
Now, many people may wonder how swimming will enhance their body shape and help them achieved the toned body they’ve been craving for. They fail to understand how their mind, body, and soul are all enhanced by swimming. One pointer to this is for you to watch the Olympics and other swimming competitions. You will see the physiques of the professional swimmers. You just have to know that none of them build such bodies in the gym before becoming a swimmer. All those sexy and properly toned bodies were built through swimming, and you can also achieve same if you so wish.
Effects of Swimming on the Shape and Tone of the Body
When you dive into the pool and work your hands and legs towards moving from one spot to the other, you are working on your whole body. The major effect of this is that your entire cardiovascular conditioning improves. The reason why this exercise brings a huge benefit to your cardiovascular system is that it entails the use of oxygen in your body even when your heart is not overworked. At this rate, the heart gains a whole lot. When you continue in the exercise and gain more fitness, the benefit will increase. At this point, you will start swimming for a longer time on each session. The benefit of this is that you will start enjoying a reduced resting and respiratory heart rate. This will increase the level of blood flow to the lungs and heart. At this rate, it will start enhancing weight loss. This is the route to a better shape and toned body because you lose weight more effectively at this point in time.
Now, another way swimming enhances your body shape and tone is in the issue of calorie burning. Swimming helps you burn plenty of calories. Now, studies have shown that enjoying a moderate swimming session for just an hour can help you burn up to 500 calories. When this is done, metabolism is increased and the burning continues in the proper manner when you have stopped the exercise.
Now coming to muscle toning proper, when you swim, your entire muscle groups are involved. The result of this is that the lower and upper body receives proper toning. For you to achieve the best all over body toning, you have to consider doing more of the backstroke, the breaststroke, and the freestyle.
During swimming, your entire body is targeted and tackled. It is the exercise that ensures that your body is properly sculpted. Those arms you move up and down while swimming is also not left out, as the exercise helps tone them properly. This is the type where you will get more benefits than what the dumbbells and weights will ever give to you.
Other areas that benefit from swimming exercises are the joints. Now, during swimming, the joints are properly exercised. For people that are coming out from injury and will like to build some level of strength, swimming routines will do wonders to them. With swimming, your shoulders, knee and other areas will be properly strengthened and conditioned.
During swimming, your cardio level is maximized as we have mentioned before. It is one of the best aerobic activities you can ever embark on. You will enjoy more breath control, and this will cause more demand for oxygen in the body. The result of the demand is that your muscles will do more hard work. When the muscles perform a more strenuous job because of the demand for more oxygen by the body, you will have them expanding and giving you the tone and shredding you desire.
In the general level, it helps you to manage pain through the spine stability that it enhances, and by sending more oxygen to the core muscles. Swimming also helps you to get into beneficial positions. Because of how light your body will be in the water, you will be able to turn and twist into positions that will help you loosen muscles and joints. This enhances painless living.
About the author: William Benetton is a writer and fan of sports.