The advantages of swimming can not be overestimated. Swimming plays a preventive and rehabilitative role due to the fact that practically all muscles are engaged when moving in the water. Even if you don't know how to swim, you can exercise in the water by signing up for aqua aerobics classes, which will shape your body perfectly. Discover the benefits of swimming.

Swimming brings only benefits. It can be an excellent form of active rest, helping to maintain physical condition and well-being. Due to the fact that during movement in the water we engage practically all muscles, swimming plays a preventive and rehabilitative role.

Advantages of swimming: corrects posture defects and increases lung capacity

Exercises in water, provided they are performed technically correctly, do not burden the spine or joints, but they strengthen the muscles, especially the back, which are to support the spine. They are an excellent way to correct posture defects.

Swimming has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system as it increases lung capacity. It is recommended for people after a heart attack, because it stimulates the circulatory system, and for those suffering from injuries of the knee and hip joints - after all, it is a muscle-strengthening exercise without straining the joints. It is also one of the forms of exercise in which fat tissue burns quickly.

The ability to swim facilitates, and in some cases enables practicing all kinds of water sports - from water skiing and windsurfing to sailing and canoeing. Although you can learn to swim at any time in life (even in adulthood), it is best to start in infancy, when the reflex to stop breathing during the head's immersion is often preserved from the fetal period. That is why the little ones dive like seasoned divers. After that, all you need to do is establish a habit of communing with water and learn to swim in one of the four styles.

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Important

Why is it worth swimming and exercising in water?

  • Swimming supports the respiratory system, reduces the risk of stroke, heart attack and diabetes.
  • It improves joint flexibility and improves their mobility.
  • When you exercise in the water, your body weighs 1/10 of its weight on land.
  • Accelerates regeneration after exercise and stretches and relaxes the muscles.
  • Relieves joint pain, high blood pressure and discomfort that often occurs during pregnancy (e.g. swelling).
  • Swimming soothes and relaxes thanks to regular breathing and the secretion of endorphins - the happiness hormones.

Adjust your swimming style to the muscles you want to strengthen

The simplest style of swimming is backstroke. We lie on our back with our face turned out of the water (there is no trouble with breathing), we swing our arms behind us strongly, and our legs forcefully push the water upwards. When we swimbackstroke , the muscles of the arms and legs, as well as the abdomen, buttocks, which must be tensed to stay in the water in a lying position, work.

Frog swimming(this is the colloquial name of the classic style) simply consists in imitating the movements of a swimming frog. It is a symmetrical swimming style - i.e. the left and right sides of the body perform the same movements at the same time. The frog builds up the chest muscles, strengthening the back muscles much less. The muscles of the arms and legs work intensively while swimming.

Kraulis the fastest of the four basic swimming styles. It consists in making the scissors with the legs, with the simultaneous alternating movement of the hands. The speed is achieved by the work of the hands (70%), the footwork is only 30%.

The butterfly style(butterfly, dolphin) is considered the most difficult. It was invented in 1935 by the physicist Volney Wilson, who analyzed the movements of fish. Requires strength, coordination of movements, the ability to "wave" in the water.

AEROBIK in water

If you can't swim and you want to improve your physical condition, body flexibility, shape your body, strengthen muscles, improve skin appearance, reduce cellulite, prevent osteoporosis, not to mention well-being and weight loss - sign up for aqua aerobics classes . These are exercises transferred to the pool from the fitness rooms.

Water makes it easier to perform exercises that for many people are sometimes impossible to do in the gym. They do not burden the spine, joints, ligaments or tendons. However, let no one think that they are less effective than those performed in the room! The resistance of the water is used here to replace the sinkers. You can get tired quite well. Aqua aerobics is recommended as a form of improvement for obese people, after operations, suffering from arthritis, and having problems with the osteoarticular system.

When selecting exercises, it is important to use the buoyancy force, which causes the apparent loss of body weight, which facilitates the exercise andaffects the relief of joints and the spine. Classes are held to the beat of the music that sets the pace. The instructor at the edge of the pool shows the next exercises. There are many types of them depending on the creativity of the teacher. We have aqua aerobics with elements of pilates, yoga, aqua fat burning, step aerobics, intervals, dance, kick-boxing and even cycling!

Various equipment is used for exercise - buoyancy belts, foam dumbbells, ankle and wrist weights, swimming boards, resistance gloves and foam tubes.

This will be useful to you

Who is the pool exercise recommended for?

Aqua fitness is recommended for young and old, obese and slim, he althy and with he alth problems, stressed, pregnant women. They are very physically fit and have difficulties with any exercise. Also those who want to improve the condition of the spine and joints or just have fun.

Contraindications to aqua aerobics

The first contraindication is an allergy to chemicals that disinfect water. Women with a disturbed vaginal pH should also be careful, because then it is easier to get an infection. And not in the water, but sitting on the edge of the pool or on the floor. Contraindications to exercise in water are various infections, incl. ophthalmic, ENT, gynecological, as well as some diseases of the circulatory, digestive and respiratory systems. If you are in doubt as to whether to go to the swimming pool, consult your doctor just in case.

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