Swimming laps is a safe and effective exercise that strengthens muscles, improves breathing, and can be done year-round. Swimming pools designed for laps are available at health clubs, but any pool of decent length will work. Swimming laps can also be meditative and refreshing for both the body and mind.
Swimming laps can be an effective means of exercise that can strengthen muscles and help a person regulate their breathing, strengthen their lungs, and even relax after a different type of workout. As long as the proper safety precautions are taken, swimming is a safe and relaxing way to burn calories and get a great aerobic workout. It’s easily a year-round activity, with heated indoor pools available for winter swimming and outdoor pools allowing for cool and refreshing exercise even on a hot summer day. Swimming laps also allow people of all ages to exercise without the strain of high-impact workouts that can cause injury and place stress on bones.
Pools designed for swimming laps are available at a number of different health clubs and other exercise facilities, although any pool of decent length will work effectively. Professional swimmers may prefer the measured, straight distance of a sports pool, but for amateurs looking to exercise, any pool should work. However, swimming laps should not be done alone, as there is a possibility of accident or injury, including drowning.
The benefits of swimming laps often include muscle strengthening and cardiovascular improvements, such as strengthened lungs with potentially greater air capacity. Typically, a lap is swum from one end or side of a pool to the other, and then back. The kicking motion of the swimmer’s legs and arm strikes often work muscles throughout their body, and different strokes can be employed to work different muscle groups. Although swimming laps may not strengthen the bones like land resistance training does, a swimmer’s muscles are often quite strong and developed.
When swimming laps, a prone stroke is often commonly used. During this type of swimming, a person turns their head to the side to take a breath, and exhales slowly during the swim. This regulated breathing allows someone to swim laps to refresh their body’s muscles with fresh oxygen during training. However, other types of exercise may not stress your breathing consistently throughout your workout, and a short period of swimming after a workout can help reinvigorate sore or tired muscles.
This controlled pattern of breathing can also allow a person to enter a somewhat meditative state. A swimmer can only focus on his breathing and the repeated movements of his arms and legs. The world can be left behind as the swimmer allows their mind to relax and be absorbed by the cool, blue world underwater. After this type of swimming, a person can often feel refreshed both physically and mentally.
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