The rainy season is here again. But that should not stop you from diving into a safe pond. Swimming is an aerobic exercise and even an art that is well known for toning the body and pampering the skin. You stand to gain certain health benefits with each stroke you take.
Though you might not be a Michael Phelps, studies have shown that regular swimming can help you lose some flabby skin. Besides building your endurance level, swimming also increases the capacity of the human heart and lung. It is good in lowering high blood pressure, easing joint stiffness and pregnancy discomfort.
Swimming after breast cancer surgery is also an excellent and safe means of recovering. It strengthens the abdomen, back and shoulders, which help women who have just undergone surgery carry their weight easily.
According to Discovery fit & health, an online health journal, “Unlike exercise machines in a gym that tend to isolate one body part at a time (like a bicep curl machine, for example), swimming puts the body through a broad range of motion that helps joints and ligaments stay loose and flexible. The arms move in wide arcs, the hips are engaged as the legs scissor through the water, and the head and spine twist from side to side.”
Though it is a safe aerobic exercise, it is however advisable to check with a medical doctor before starting to swim. You should also protect yourself while swimming, as bacteria, germs and other micro-organisms inhabit lakes and other water bodies. It is also best not to swim after a heavy rainfall.
