Swimming Successfully

Warmer weather has arrived, and it's time to dig out the swimming gear again. This summer put your suit to good use by starting an exercise regimen revolving around swimming.

Swimming not only utilizes a majority of the major muscle groups, but the water creates a non weight-bearing environment as well. According to University of Missouri Recreation Center Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Meghan Dimsa, swimming is also an excellent activity for anyone suffering from joint pain or problems because it still provides aerobic and anaerobic benefits. This makes it a particularly beneficial activity for overweight people as well.

"Approximately 50% of the adult population is overweight, so reducing jarring to joints is very significant," said Joanne Macher, owner of Macher Swim School in Columbia, MO. When engaging in exercise such as jogging, a large strain is put on joints, ligaments, the back, knees, hips and ankles. When exercising in water, these complications are solved, along with the risk of tripping and falling due to fatigue.

Swimming has benefits particular to women as well. "As a secondary sex characteristic of the female, our hips are wider than men's hips. This puts weight bearing of the woman's body in less alignment when running," said Macher. "Water allows for exercise in a weightless environment and therefore offers an advantage to women who tend to be a little 'hippy' in their adult years." Swimming is also particularly beneficial to women as they age and become more susceptible to osteoporosis.

If you don't know how to swim, learn. It's easy to teach an old dog new tricks in this case, particularly when it comes to the "doggy paddle," or treading water. Both Macher Swim School and the MU Rec Center offer adult swim instruction as a class and on an individual basis.

"Take a couple private swimming lessons to learn basic techniques," said MU Rec Center Aquatic Coordinator and former collegiate swimmer Kate McLoughlin. "You'll learn how to move through the water more efficiently and develop stroke evenly so you don't end up developing one particular muscle group more than another."

If you've got down the "doggy paddle" and are just a stranger to lap swimming, the best stroke to learn would be the "crawl" stroke, or freestyle swimming. "The stroke that provides the most control and best affects exercise intensity is the crawl stroke," said Macher. "For a novice, it would be hard to get as much benefit with the breast stroke."

Also, you may have been warned by your mother to wait half an hour between eating and swimming, but this is untrue. Of course you won't want to take on laps in an Olympic-sized pool after Thanksgiving dinner either. It's best to eat a balanced meal containing protein, carbohydrates and fats at least one hour, preferably two, before any workout.

Lastly, remember that it is important to add variety with your workouts.

"Swimming is an excellent alternative cardiovascular activity," said Dimsa, "but it will be most effective when paired with a strength training and flexibility program."