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Increases Lifespan
A study by Cooper Clinic in Dallas found that swimmers were less likely to die prematurely than
people who primarily use other types of exercise or don’t exercise at all. More than 40,000 men
between the ages of 20 and 90 were followed for 13 years. Only 2 percent of the swimmers died
over that time period as opposed to 9 percent of walkers and 11 percent of the people who were
sedentary.
Good for All
Age Groups
Swimming is a great form of exercise
throughout life. The water reduces pressure on the
joints and makes it easier for seniors and people with
arthritis to workout. You’re never too old (or young) to
learn to swim and most people can continue as long as they
are able. Like Dana Torres said in
Age is Just a Number,
“The
water doesn’t know how old
you are.”
Increased Focus
While recreational swimming offers a wide range of advantages, swimmers who get involved in competitions
can see additional benefits. Entrepreneurs
and CEOs who swam competitively
translated their learned behaviors from
the pool to the business world. Competitive
swimming teaches people to work hard, work as
a team and to deal with the uncertainty that exists
until the race is over. The only way to succeed is to work
hard and outperform everyone else.
Social Benefits
There are few physical activities the entire family can participate in at the same
time. Once young children learn to swim, they can play in the water, compete on swim teams
or swim for exercise. Swimming is a great way for young athletes to keep their body in good physical
condition during the off-season of their preferred sport.
In addition to being able to spend more time with family, swimming and other water-based exercise, such as
aqua-aerobics, can help people make new friends or network. Often the same people use the pool at the same
time. Regular swimmers get to know each other and can encourage each other to meet their fitness goals.
ng
The number of calories you can burn
per 10 minutes of high-intensity
swimming is based primarily on which
stroke you choose. Here’s how it
breaks down:
150
calories swimming
butterfly stroke
100
calories swimming
freestyle
80
calories swimming
backstroke
60
calories swimming
breaststroke