Who’s Up for a Swim?

While exiting Coors Field after Colorado Rockies game a few weeks ago, I was amused by a game the fans were playing out on Blake Street.  A group of teenagers, arm in arm, were strolling down the street amid the crowd of revelers.  “Marco!” they hollered.  “Polo!” the crowd responded.  On and on this continued as the teens made their way into the Lodo night.  I couldn’t help but smile, not just because the Rockies had actually won a game, but because the warm summer evening and Marco Polo brought me back to my childhood days trying to beat the Texas heat in the local pool – swimming, playing, and having fun.

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials in swimming have reminded me that for some, swimming is not just a casual pastime.  Swimmers have bodies to be admired – lean, straight and muscular. They make swimming look effortless as they glide across the water.  We’ve witnessed amazing Olympic swimmers through the years in Mark Spitz, Colorado’s own Amy Van Dyken, and Michael Phelps. 

But swimming is not just for kids – or Olympians.  Health clubs have reported an 18 percent surge in memberships with clubs that have swimming pools.  Many of these members are baby boomers who have special health limitations and turn to the water for their exercise.  Many families turn to swimming pools and water parks as ideal playgrounds.  So let’s explore the many approaches you can use to swim yourself fit.

Swimming has tremendous health benefits because it works your whole body inside and out, from your muscles to your heart and lungs.  Swimming in water is low impact and causes no stress on joints and bones.  Because of this, it is an ideal activity for those with special health limitations. You never hear anyone come out of the water saying, “Oh my aching back!”  What’s more, working out in water improves your core stabilization, balance and posture.

Working out in the pool is like a weight room underwater because the more force you use, the more resistance you experience. Movement on land uses gravity (downward force).  When you move in water, the main force is buoyancy (upwards force). Try a bicep curl standing in the water:   The force is harder on the triceps going down through the water, unlike the same movement on land, for which the force is easier on the triceps.  Gravity on land helps you on the down portion and buoyancy in water helps you on the up movements.

Water also improves muscular imbalance, strength and endurance, as well as flexibility. Water provides 15 x more resistance than dry land workouts.  What’s more is that simply floating can have a meditative effect on your stress level because our bodies are 60% water.

Calorie Burn

I am often asked, “What is the best exercise I should be doing?”  I always say, “The one that you will do.”  Many fitness experts say that swimming is not the best exercise for dropping pounds fast.  This has a lot to do with the coolness of the water, which keeps you from heating up, whereas in a land workout your body has to keep burning calories to cool off, even hours after you’re finished.  But if you like to swim, then by all means swim, because any form of exercise, be it swimming, walking, biking, is preferable to no exercise. Mix up your workouts with some weight training and alternate your cardio routines. Losing weight is all about burning more calories than you take in while eating. So make healthy food choices to complement your program. It is important to be consistent with an exercise program that you enjoy, which sure beats avoiding one you hate.  So, jump in and swim yourself fit!

Swimming burns calories at a rate of 3 calories a mile per pound of body weight. If you are using a pedometer to keep track of your activity, swimming leisurely equals 182 steps/min.

But churning out laps is not the only way to burn calories in the water.  Tune in next week for a sample “Aquarobic” workout.  Meanwhile, go ahead – make a splash!

Have you had success in “swimming yourself fit?”  Tell us about it by clicking “Leave a Comment” in the title box above.