Swimming is an excellent physical training - it activates over forty muscles at the same time! Swimming also has a beneficial effect on slimming and body shape. Depending on the style and technique, swimming has many he alth benefits. Check out how to learn to swim, what muscles work during this physical activity and learn about the most important swimming styles.

Swimming is one of the natural physical activities of a human being and has been with us since the very beginning - we have already swam in our mothers' bellies!

Swimming can be practiced all year round, in summer in natural water reservoirs, and in winter in swimming pools and thermal baths. While learning to swim, we learn not only effective swimming styles, but also perform proper training to improve our figure and sculpt muscles.

Swimming has a great influence on weight loss, well-being, physical condition and our he alth, and these are just some of the advantages and benefits of swimming.

Swimming - what is it?

Swimming is a well-known physical activity and a popular sport. Swimming is more often practiced in the summer when there is more access to water. However, this does not prevent you from enjoying the benefits of swimming all year round, as you can also do it in indoor pools or hot tubs.

The most popular utility swimming styles are crawl, breaststroke (breaststroke), backstroke and side swimming. But the first widely practiced style of swimming was doggy style.

The first swimming competition was decided as early as 35 BCE in Japan! However, it was the nineteenth century that brought swimming the greatest popularity, and the undying fame of this sport began in 1869, when the first swimming competition took place in London.

Swimming world championships have been organized since 1973, and swimming is also an Olympic discipline from the very beginning of the Olympics. Swimming competitions include swimming in the pool, finning, long distance swimming, synchronized swimming and diving.

The athlete of all time associated with swimming is Michael Phels from the USA. He is an absolute world record holder. At the Olympics in Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012) and Rio de Janeiro(2016) won a total of 23 medals, and 8 went to him from Beijing alone!

In Poland, the first swimming championships were held in 1929 in Warsaw. They brought us world fame, among others Marek Petrusewicz, setting two world records for 100 m in classic style in 1953 and 1954. In 1980, the first historical Olympic medal was won by Agnieszka Czopek, and eight years later by Artur Wojdat.

The 21st century brought Poland two outstanding athletes who entered the Olympic chronicles for good. I am talking about Otylia Jędrzejczak, two-time world champion in 200 m butterfly style (2003 and 2005), five-time European champion (2000, 2002, 2004, 2006), world record holder in 200 m with a dolphin and three times Olympic medalist (the Athens Games in 2004). The second most famous Polish swimmer is Paweł Korzeniowski - 200 m world champion in butterfly style (2005). After the success achieved by Otylia Jędrzejczak, the Poles found themselves among the world's best swimmers, and many talented and titled swimmers appeared in our country.

  • Why it is worth going to the POOL
  • Aqua fitness - benefits, effects and sample exercises

Swimming - the muscles that work while swimming

While swimming, the muscles of almost the entire body work. During physical activity in the water, it may seem as if it costs us no effort, but nothing could be further from the truth! Water allows us to make movements that we would never have done without its help, but it is also a natural burden and resists our muscles. Thanks to this, we can carve them without burdening the joints and bones.

The muscles that are involved in working during swimming include :

  • deep neck muscles
  • back muscles
  • arm muscles: muscles of the shoulder girdle, flexors and extensors of the arm
  • chest muscles
  • abdominal muscles: straight and oblique muscles
  • muscle of the lower spine
  • gluteus muscles: gluteus great and medium muscles
  • muscles of the thighs: quadriceps muscle of the thigh, biceps muscle of the thigh; abductors and adductors
  • calf triceps muscle
  • foot and hand muscles
TRY IT OUT

Here are the best exercises to gain muscle:

  • Best Bicep Exercises
  • 9 exercises for the chest
  • Shoulder exercises with dumbbells
  • Leg training - home and gym exercises
  • 30 Day Six Pack Exercises
  • Mass training -3-day plan and tips for beginners
  • Back exercises - 10 exercises to strengthen the back muscles
  • Exercises to strengthen your arms
  • Deep muscles - how to exercise deep muscles?

Swimming and slimming

Swimming as a physical activity has a variable effort character. Depending on speed, water resistance, and swimming style, we can burn many calories. The tables show 400 to 800 kcal per hour, but of course the energy expenditure depends on many different factors.

  • Losing weight at the pool. How to swim and exercise in water to lose weight?
  • Swimming for weight loss - training in the pool for beginners

One thing is for sure - swimming is an excellent training for our body. It not only sculpts the muscles, but also deals with excess body fat. As an aerobic and anaerobic effort, swimming will boost your metabolism and burn excess body fat. If we regularly engage in water activities, swimming can have a beneficial effect on weight loss.

  • Sculpture training: rules, effects, diet, supplements
  • Aerobic or Anaerobic training - which one to choose?

Swimming and silhouette

Swimming perfectly shapes the body, increases muscle flexibility and improves the overall appearance of the body, incl. firms and smoothes the epidermis. Swimming is a physical activity that comprehensively affects the muscles and joints.

The whole body works during swimming: from the hand muscles to the muscles of the feet inclusive, and the water resistance is conducive to energy expenditure without overloading our joints. The influence of swimming on the figure is invaluable and it is worth adding this form of sports activity to our everyday life. It can be used by people of all ages!

Swimming - swimming styles

Butterfly style (butterfly, dolphin)- The butterfly style is the most difficult of the four basic swimming styles. Its name comes from the way the dolphin moves in the water. It was founded in 1935 by Volney Wilson - a physicist who studies the movements of fish while swimming.

Backstroke- This is the only style in which you swim on your back. It is considered to be the simplest and least demanding style of swimming. The work here is mainly done with the hands, wide backwards swinging and vigorous foot movements to keep us afloat.

Classic style (frog)- this is a swimming style that takes its name from the movements of a swimming frog. It relies onsymmetrical body movements of both arms and legs while swimming on the stomach. You should swim with a covered frog - with your head submerged under the water, leaning out every second or third movement to draw air, and not with a frog with your head raised above the water, which places a load on the cervical and lumbar spine.

Freestyle- This is the term used to describe any style that is not a backstroke, butterfly or breaststroke. It is used in swimming competitions in events that allow medley style. The most common is the crab. Other free styles include swimming on the side and a little dog.

Kraul- is by far the fastest way to move around in the water. This style of swimming comes from South America. In Europe, it was first presented in 1844 at a swimming competition in London. The technique of movement is a bit like backstroke, but with the difference that in the crawl you float on your stomach.

Side swimming- consists in pushing against the water with your hands and alternating movements of the legs while lying sideways. One arm should be stretched along the head and the other arm bent and positioned against the chest. This style is a combination of crawl and doggy swimming. It is believed to be the least exhaustive swimming technique of all swimming styles.

Dog- its name, of course, comes from the swimming technique of our four-legged pets. This swimming style is mainly associated with young children who are just learning to swim. It teaches basic movements in the water, but is not the most effective swimming technique. Contrary to appearances, you have to be pretty naked while swimming. The doggie relies on the alternating movements of the arms and legs while lying on the stomach without significantly pushing off the water, and the dynamics while swimming is small.

Read more: Swimming Styles: The 5 Most Popular Swimming Techniques

Swimming - learning

Learning to swim takes place in the indoor pool and takes approximately 1 hour. Usually it starts with a warm-up in the paddling pool and then moves to a lane in a deep pool. It happens that the instructor conducts classes when he is in the water with the student, but most often he does it at the edge of the pool.

The first lesson begins with an introduction to the pool rules and basic he alth and safety rules. Then it goes to the warm-up and swimming on the track. The first lessons are carried out with the use of sleeves - for small children, and for the rest of the students - boards and other devices that help them stay afloat.

Thanks to the foamWhen learning to swim, it is much easier for boards to train the correct work of the legs, which is the driving force behind almost every swimming style and allows you to keep the body in a straight line.

Once we have mastered the work of the legs, we move on to learning the technique of working the arms and torso. The swimming styles that we can learn in swimming lessons are mainly backstroke, breaststroke (breaststroke) and crawl.

IMPORTANT

You can also learn to swim alone, but you have to remember to stay safe and try your hand only in closed waters under the supervision of a lifeguard.

Swimming and he alth

The advantages of swimming are not only in the physical but also in the mental sphere. This physical activity is invaluable in its value.

  1. Swimming sculpts the figure - affects body contouring by sculpting muscles and burning excess body fat.
  2. Swimming improves the condition - swimming increases the capacity of the lungs, which has a positive effect on the efficiency of the whole body.
  3. Swimming reduces weight - exercise in the water stimulates the metabolism to work more and increases the body's expenditure.
  4. Swimming minimizes the risk of injury - while swimming, the water is a dressing for the joints and absorbs our body against any fall or bruise.
  5. Swimming improves mood - being active in the water is a great way to feel better. It has been proven that contact with water has a positive effect on the nervous system, allows you to eliminate tension, stress and anxiety.
  6. Swimming corrects posture defects - swimming is a sport that teaches our body correct posture and develops it evenly.
  7. Swimming eliminates pain - water has a beneficial effect on our muscles and joints. In addition, swimming has a he alth-promoting effect on the fascia that creates protective interarticular membranes. It can also be a great form of rehabilitation.
  8. Swimming also reduces other ailments - it can reduce ailments related to the respiratory system, such as asthma or chronic cough. What's more, it will perfectly improve blood circulation.
  9. Swimming is an irreplaceable he alth prophylaxis - swimming is an invaluable prevention against many diseases and he alth ailments. There is no better way to protect yourself against heart disease, osteoporosis, overweight, diabetes, or even hypertension.
Activities at the swimming pool:
  • Aqua aerobics, or gymnastics in water
  • Aqua fitness - benefits, effects and sample exercises
  • Aquacycling - advantages of pedaling underwater
  • Aqua zumba, or zumba in water
  • Aqua jogging, i.e.running in the water

Category:

ABC of exercises