Don't Forget Swimming

The one thing I miss about not doing Triathlons for a couple of years now are the swim workouts. After reading this excerpt from a blog that I've pasted below, I'm getting the itch to swim again. Also, my core wasn't anywhere near as strong as it is now and a strong core is key with a nice efficient stroke. If you've ever used water to workout, you know how effective it can be, if you haven't, you should add it to your array of things you can do to work out your new body.

Consumer Reports Health.org
Kevin McCarthy, associate editor

Swimming is my exercise of choice, which apparently puts me in good company—it’s the second most popular workout in the country. And you know it’s a great workout. Lap swimming is about as effective as jogging at burning calories, building strength, and provides a similar aerobic workout. And it’s easier on the hips and knees, helping those with joint problems work out longer and with less stress.

But lap swimming isn’t the only way to get a good water workout. Walking, running, or lifting weights in a pool is a different kind of workout than on land—and it can be safer too, especially for those who may be frail, overweight, pregnant, or with back or joint problems. One of my colleagues and fellow blogger was required to take a water aerobics class in college. She wasn’t excited about it at first, but says she thoroughly enjoyed it, and lost nearly ten pounds in one semester.

Like some exercise machines, water provides a natural form of resistance—roughly ten times greater than air—forcing you to work harder to move through it, which burns calories faster while building strength and aerobic fitness. And because water surrounds you, it provides resistance in any direction you move. Straight leg lifts on land, for example, tone the muscles in your front thigh, but the same exercise in water has the added benefit of strengthening the hamstring when you push your leg back down.