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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