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At the recent pool championships in Budapest, Anita Alvarez sank to the bottom of the pool.

Her coach, Andrea Fuentes without hesitation dove in to rescue her. She recognized that Anita was in trouble, had the desire, will and competence to assist, and acted - while the world was watching.

This is a true example of the importance of coaching and mentoring. Knowing the coachee and mentee and acting immediately when needed.

So many today are fainting, collapsing, drowning or sinking under the pressures of the time. While the world is watching, let those with the ability and desire to help, Act.

Let each one teach one. Give back, guide, coach, mentor, help and assist - knowing that the pain of one is the pain of all. Share in the pain and the success of all.

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What Are the Top 12 Benefits of Swimming?
Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M.S., NASM-CPT, NASE Level II-CSS, Fitness — Written by Ashley Marcin — Updated on September 9, 2017
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Overview

You may have heard that experts recommend adults get 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. Swimming is an excellent way to work your entire body and cardiovascular system. An hour of swimming burns almost as many calories as running, without all the impact on your bones and joints.

Swimming is the fourth mostTrusted Source popular activity in the United States. But why, exactly? There are a host of benefits you may gain from swimming laps regularly. Read on to learn about the benefits of swimming and how to incorporate swimming into your routine.

Benefits
1. Works your whole body
One of the biggest benefits of swimming is that it truly works your entire body, head to toe. Swimming:

increases your heart rate without stressing your body
tones muscles
builds strength
builds endurance
There are various strokes you can use to add variety to your swimming workout, including:

breaststroke
backstroke
sidestroke
butterfly
freestyle
Each focuses on different muscle groups, and the water provides a gentle resistance. No matter what stroke you swim, you’re using most of your muscle groups to move your body through the water.

2. Works your insides, too
While your muscles are getting a good workout, your cardiovascular system is, too. Swimming makes your heart and lungs strong. Swimming is so good for you that researchers share it may even reduce your risk of death. Compared with inactive people, swimmers have about half the risk of deathTrusted Source. Some other studies have shown that swimming may help lower blood pressureTrusted Source and control blood sugarTrusted Source.

3. Is appropriate for people with injuries, arthritis, and other conditions
Swimming can be a safe exercise option for people with:

arthritis
injury
disability
other issues that make high-impact exercises difficult
Swimming may even help reduce some of your pain or improve your recovery from an injury. One study showed that people with osteoarthritis reported significant reductions in joint pain and stiffness, and experienced less physical limitation after engaging in activities like swimming and cycling.

Even more interesting, there was little to no difference in the benefits between the two groups. So, swimming seems to have many of the same benefits as frequently prescribed land exercises. If you want non-swimming water activities, try these water excises for people with arthritis.

4. Good option for people with asthma
The humid environment of indoor pools makes swimming a great activity for people with asthma. Not only that, but breathing exercises associated with the sport, like holding your breath, may helpTrusted Source you expand your lung capacity and gain control over your breathing.

Some studies suggest that swimming may increase your risk for asthma because of the chemicals used to treat pools. Talk to your doctor about the potential risks of swimming if you have asthma, and, if possible, look for a pool that uses salt water instead of chlorine.

5. Beneficial for people with MS, too
People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may also find swimming beneficial. Water makes the limbs buoyant, helping to support them during exercise. Water also provides a gentle resistance.

In one studyTrusted Source, a 20-week swimming program resulted in significant reduction of pain for people with MS. These people also showed improvements with symptoms like fatigue, depression, and disability. Learn more about water therapy for MS.

6. Torches calories
Swimming is an efficient way to burn calories. A 160-pound person burns approximately 423 calories an hour while swimming laps at a low or moderate pace. That same person may burn up to 715 calories an hour swimming at a more vigorous pace. A 200-pound person doing the same activities would burn between 528 and 892 calories an hour. A 240-pound person might burn between 632 and 1,068.

To compare these numbers to other popular low-impact activities, that same 160-pound person would only burn around 314 calories walking at 3.5 miles per hour for 60 minutes. Yoga might burn just 183 calories per hour. And the elliptical trainer might burn just 365 calories in that hour.

7. Improves your sleep
Swimming may have the power to help you sleep better at night. In a studyTrusted Source on older adults with insomnia, participants reported both a boost in quality of life and sleep after engaging in regular aerobic exercise.

Nearly 50 percentTrusted Source of older persons experience some level of insomnia, so this is excellent news. The study focused on all types of aerobic exercise, including the elliptical, Stairmaster, bicycle, pool, and exercise videos.

Swimming is accessible to a wide range of people who deal with physical issues that make other exercises, like running, less appealing. That can make swimming a good choice for older adults looking to improve their sleep.

8. Boosts your mood
ResearchersTrusted Source evaluated a small group of people with dementia, and saw an improvement in mood after participating in a 12-week aquatic program. Swimming and aquatic workouts aren’t just psychologically beneficial for people with dementia. Exercise has been shown to boost mood in other people, as well.

9. Helps manage stress
Researchers surveyed a group of swimmers immediately before and after swimming at a YMCA in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Of the 101 people surveyed, 44 reported being mildly depressed and feeling stress related to fast-paced life. After swimming, the number of people who still reported feeling stressed decreased to just eight.

While more research needs to be done in this area, the researchers conclude that swimming is a potentially powerful way to relieve stress quickly.

10. Safe during pregnancy
Pregnant women and their babies can also reap some wonderful rewards from swimming. In one studyTrusted Source in animals, a mother rat’s swimming was shown to alter the brain development in her offspring. It may even protect babies against a type of neurological issue called hypoxia-ischemia, but more research is needed. Aside from potential benefits to the child, swimming is an activity that can be performed in all three trimesters.

Another studyTrusted Source shows no adverse effects of swimming in chlorinated pools while pregnant. In fact, pregnant women who swam during their early to mid-pregnancy had a lower risk of preterm labor and congenital defects.

Keep in mind that while swimming is generally considered safe during pregnancy, some women may have activity restrictions due to complications in pregnancy. Talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise programs during pregnancy, and if you have complications, ask about activities that are safe.

11. Great for kids, too
Kids need a minimum of 60 minutesTrusted Source of aerobic exercise each day. It doesn’t need to feel like a chore either. Swimming is a fun activity and doesn’t necessarily feel like formal working out.

Your child can do either structured swimming lessons or be part of a swim team. Unstructured swim time is another solid option to get kids moving.

12. Affordable
Swimming may also be an affordable exercise option compared to some others, like cycling. Many pools offer reasonable rates to join. Some public schools and other centers offer swim hours for free, or for a sliding scale according to your income.

If you’re still concerned about the costs of joining a pool, check with your employer or your health insurance. Some offer reimbursements for joining a fitness program.

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Health BENEFITS of SWIMMING

Jion us to experience true power and freedom!

Keeping fit both physically and mentally is important for all of us but even more so as we get older.

There are so many different forms of exercise to choose from: nordic walking, running, racquet sports, team games, cycling to name but a few.

But when it comes to finding one that is 100% natural, healthy, enjoyable and endorsed by doctors, physiotherapists and the NHS, it is swimming that tops the list.

So, what is it that makes swimming such a good form of exercise? Why is swimming good for older people?

Read on and discover why you may well be dusting off that old swimming cap and goggles if you’re looking to get fit and healthy!

Benefits of Swimming for Over 50’s

To give you some insights into the benefits of swimming, we’ve highlighted some of the top reasons below:

Cardio-Vascular System

Believe it or not, swimming gives your cardio-vascular system the same sort of workout as a full-on dance or aerobics class.

If you’re not swimming, you’re sinking and that constant movement translates directly into a higher heart rate, keeping your heart muscle healthier, boosting circulation and improving blood pressure.

Muscle Strength

As you push and pull yourself through the water, arms and legs are combating water resistance all the time, forcing both major and minor muscles to flex, tone and strengthen.

Did you know that an hour’s muscle use in swimming is far more comprehensive than any other form of exercise out there? In fact, an hour’s swimming surpasses any muscle use in a one hour weight training session where only individual, isolated muscles are worked on.

Core Strength

Swimming is the only form of exercise out there that reaps whole body benefits as soon you start to move through the water. Water bears your weight whilst the whole body is involved in keeping afloat.

Moving does not hurt as with other physical exercises and there is little or no chance of injury but your body is now participating in a full work-out. It is this unique property of water and its propensity to support all muscles and limbs that makes swimming a top recommendation by doctors and physiotherapists alike.

Stress Relief

There’s no doubt about it, life can be stressful. And stress in turn can impact significantly both on our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Swimming is a great way to destress both physically and mentally with a dip in the pool releasing those feel-good endorphins and providing the satisfaction of a good work-out at one and the same time.

Social Factors

Sometimes it’s all too easy to stay curled up inside, particularly during winter months.

Disciplining yourself to go swimming on a regular basis not only gets you out of the house and improve your fitness levels but it also provides a focus to your day and affords the opportunity to meet new like-minded people.

If you’re shy at getting started on your own, perhaps you have a friend you could encourage to go with you? Going with a friend of similar ability will help keep you motivated: neither of you will want to let the other down by not turning up and you can be mutually supportive both in and out of the water.

Consider too joining a club if you want to get even more out of swimming. This can be a great way to make new friends, improve your skills and ensure regular attendance and exercise.

Many clubs also run social events away from the pool with trips and visits out. Before you know it, you’re not only feeling so much healthier and fitter but life has become an exciting new social whirl!

Low Impact

As we get older, bones lose density, muscle mass reduces and joints stiffen and weaken.

This is in turn can lead to our much loved forms of exercise such as tennis, football or jogging becoming more difficult: in continuing to pursue these favourite sports, we run the risk of exacerbating old injuries, putting strain on our muscles and joints and making ourselves more vulnerable to aches, pains, fractures, falls and loss of mobility.

Swimming on the other is a low impact form of exercise with the body supported at all time in the water thus enabling exercise without the risk of injury.

Not only that, because swimming is not a weight-bearing activity, it has actually been proven to improve bone density, posture and balance and to alleviate and delay the painful symptoms of arthritis.

Weight Loss

Swimming not only makes you fitter, stronger and more flexible but boosts your metabolism and burns calories. That in turn equates to losing weight. Energy expenditure in water has been shown to be up to 4x higher over a given distance than the same distance run on land.

Yes, it may take you longer to cover that distance and your entire body is working harder than on land but you are burning more calories and shedding more weight in the process: it’s a win-win scenario!

If you’re wondering, “how many laps should I swim to lose weight?”, the answer is very much dependent on other factors such as diet, lifestyle as well as things like genetics. Nevertheless, it is still a great method for those looking to shed some pounds! Like any form of exercise, you can start small and increase the volume and intensity over time as you feel more confident and capable.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Swimming Workouts and Exercises for Over 50’s

As well as all the different swimming strokes (e.g. breast stroke, front crawl, back stroke, etc), getting yourself down to the local pool offers plenty of variedand effective aerobic workouts too.

Even exercises like jogging in the water can be highly effective rehabilitation exercises.

The low impact nature of performing any exercise in water means that it can be really beneficial for getting started with fitness in later life.

Watch the video below for swimming workout ideas and exercises. These cover things like:

• Jogging

• Squats

• Leg Raises

• Side Jumps

The possibilities are endless – why not start the day with some pool yoga!

Swimming Lessons for Adults

Although many of us learn to swim when we’re young, you can have swimming lessons at any age.

It’s just like using a personal trainer.

Swimming lessons would be really recommended if you want to see results quickly. If you can’t swim at all, then having lessons obviously needed, but even if you feel confident swimming, having a swimming coach to offer recommendations to improve your technique and strokes could make all the difference down the line.

Swimming lessons provide a framework to monitor progress and get a constant feedback loop, which help keep you motivated and on target to hit your fitness goals.

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Contact Coach Jarrod
+27 83 300 0804
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Very nice podium

The Cana zone 2 championships set to start in an hour. Hosted by the current West African champions