Find out why everyone raves about it...
We have all heard on the grape vine that swimming is one of the best ways to keep fit, but in the last few months this has also been endorsed by former gymnast and BBC presenter Gabby Logan who is now the face of Speedo.
A lot of us use the gym, and play sport during the week, however I find swimming is the perfect midweek exercise in between playing netball and my fitness classes.
Swimming allows you to exercise your whole body and do a full aerobic workout without any harsh impact on your body. The main problem many ladies have is getting into the swimming costume in the first place. All you have to do is overcome that initial stage to reap the benefits, and then I am sure you won’t ever want to take it off.
Swimming increases muscle strength and muscle tone, one of the main reasons, I, and many other women persist to workout. Using multiple muscles all over your body while pushing yourself through the resistance of the water will tighten up those flabby bits in no time. As we get older, our skin is not as tight as it used to be, however our muscles tighten and flexibility can often be an issue. Swimming also helps to increase flexibility of your muscles and moves a variety of different joints in all angles helping them remain loose. All of these benefits are fantastic, but I know when comparing different exercises, one of the main factors a lot of people consider is the amount of calories burnt. Weight Loss Resources states that 30 minutes of moderate swimming will burn between “150-370 calories”.
The best thing is that there are swimming pools absolutely everywhere in London. Just look no further than your local leisure centre. Most of the time, you can just pay per swim, so you don’t even have to worry about gym memberships and affording a lengthy contract, you can just swim when you fancy it.
Whatever sport or activity that motivates you to get off the sofa the most often, will lose you the most weight and make you feel your best. I would advise trying out different forms of exercise during the week. You then get a very varied workout, using many different muscle groups. Why not hit the weights Monday morning to counteract your 2 day hangover from the weekend, play a game of netball on Tuesday night, and go for a relaxing (forget about work) mid-day swim on Wednesday and before you know it you are half way through the week and it’s almost Friday and the weekend all over again.