Swimming works wonders. Swimming is the 'queen of exercise' as it burns the most calories, revs up your metabolism and works every muscle in your body without straining your joints. Swimming is one of the most effective and fast ways to get a slim and toned body. Start your vacation at the sea and continue with a registration at the swimming pool. You will see your body change and become stronger, more toned and healthier than you can imagine.
A runner has legs, a yogi has abs, but a swimmer has "the whole package". In more detail:
Shoulders: It's the muscles of a swimmer's back and shoulders that do most of the work, giving her body that streamlined look.
Triceps: Worked every time your arm stretches to complete a freestyle circle.
Waist: Female swimmers have a narrower waist because they use their core muscles to move through the water.
Hips: The muscles of the buttocks and hips give the boost making her body slimmer and more flexible.
Legs: A swimmer draws strength from her quadriceps and hamstrings, giving her legs great endurance and cardio without stressing the joints.
Take a look at the bodies of all the swimmers and you will understand how swimming can sculpt your body. Don't be scared. You don't have to reach Olympic gold medalist level to see results. Indiana University research on swimmers and non-swimmers showed that the former had more trained muscles and slimmer waists and hips. That's why it's worth the effort. You only need three things: swimsuit, cap and goggles. Do you have them? Dive!
The Magic Ingredient
Swimming is a top sport, because it combines cardiovascular exercise and muscle strengthening. By swimming leisurely you burn about 500 calories an hour, while if you let him understand, you can reach 700. And because water is about 800 times denser than air, it's like working out with resistance bands. You train your torso, hips, arms, shoulders and glutes. This way, together with aerobic exercise, you build strong muscles, as a result of which your metabolism will jump and you will burn more calories even after exercise.
Even though swimming is hard exercise, it doesn't strain your body. Water neutralizes gravity, relieving your tired joints. "You can swim every day without the risk of injury," says Joel Stager, director of the Swimming Science Center at Indiana University in Bloomington, who has studied her results. "You can't say the same about running or weight training."
Precisely for this reason, swimming is a sport you can follow for a lifetime, while it will keep you young and strong: "Our research shows that swimmers end up looking 20 years younger than their actual age" says Stager. The data, also presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, reveal that a swimmer's blood pressure, cholesterol, cardiovascular endurance and central nervous system are consistent with those of a much younger person.
Make the beginning
Beginners always start with high expectations and are quickly disappointed. They dive into the water and think they can swim continuously for half an hour to an hour. "Four minutes later they're hanging over the edge of the pool gasping and frustrated," says Joel Shinofield, a coach at Washington and Lee University in Virginia.
This is because your body works differently in water than it does on land. Your lungs have to adapt to a different way of breathing, since you can't breathe whenever you want like in other exercises. Unlike them, swimming requires all the muscles in your body to work together in order to move as well as float.
"The key to getting the best results from a swim program is to alternate between different swim and rest phases, and not to get bogged down in one type," says Shinofield. Try freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, backstroke and be sure to change the order. Also, don't worry about the breaks. “Swimming is not like walking, where your heart rate drops rapidly. In the pool, your heart rate stays high for at least 30 seconds after the end of each lap."
Synchronize your movements with the following tips and learn to swim more correctly and efficiently.
Head and Shoulders: Align your head and neck with your spine and keep your shoulders relaxed. Look at the black line at the bottom of the pool with your head in a neutral position. This will keep your body afloat.
Hands: Swim with your fingers closed facing the bottom of the pool. Your hand should form a line at the bottom. Make sure your palms are relaxed with your fingers slightly apart. That way you will move forward more easily.
Elbows: The elbow should always be higher than your wrist.
Triceps: Make sure that every movement of your arm is completed by bringing it next to your thigh.
Hips: Body rotation starts at the hips and torso. Rotate your hips 45° with each arm circle. The push starts here. Imagine trying to kick your flip flops under water.
Legs: Keep them close together, stretched and in a straight line with the rest of the body.
Mouth: As you turn your body to the side, turn your head (do not lift it out of the water) and breathe through the mouth. Remember to exhale slowly and gradually.
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