Getting in the swim of a better workout

PERSONAL BEST

DAVID ARNFIELD RECENTLY, Cairns hosted the Australian Swimming Team for a two-week training camp prior to the Pan Pacific Championships in Japan.

I was lucky enough to watch some of their training sessions.

Apart from appreciating the ability of these athletes and the wonderful facility we have, it made me think of the many benefits swimming has for the average person.

A person submerged in water weighs only 10 per cent of their body weight. We all know the stress high-intensity land-based workouts put on muscles and joints.

Imagine the benefits gained by being able to work out harder and at a higher intensity several days in a row without causing muscle soreness and overtraining injuries.

The coolness and buoyancy of water also appeal to people who are overweight or obese, for whom load-bearing aerobic exercises like running may be too hot or uncomfortable.

In addition, water accommodates resistance. The harder you push or pull through water, the more resistance you experience, resulting in higher heart rates and forcing athletes to work muscles eccentrically and concentrically.

Swimming fires up more of your body’s major muscles.

There’s no hard impact like there is with running, and instead of being bent forward like you would be on a bike, your back tends to be arched slightly in the opposite direction.

That may help improve your posture and prevent the back injuries and pain that stem from long stretches of sedentary time.

If you’ve never learnt to swim properly, I suggest you engage the help of an instructor and start with 30-minute sessions three times a week.

(SWIMMING) MAY HELP IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE AND PREVENT THE BACK INJURIES AND PAIN THAT STEM FROM LONG STRETCHES OF SEDENTARY TIME