The Benefits of Swimming!

Its summertime and we are fortunate to live in Maine where we have plenty of swimming options to cool off! From the ocean, to rivers, pools, and our many lakes we are able to take a dip just about anywhere. Not only is it refreshing to cool off, its fun to swim and it is also beneficial for our health. I know when I go swimming it feels good to flutter my feet in the water and after a little while I feel tired without realizing how much exercising I actually did.  By swimming in the water you have less pressure on your feet and joints but an increase in resistance from the water. Swimming is a great way to build muscle strength, stretch out any tight muscles, and gain more flexibility without putting too much stress on your skeletal system. Swimming is an aerobic exercise which means it is a cardio workout. Aerobic exercising helps lower bad cholesterol, strengthen the heart, and uses multiple muscles at once. “American Heart Association reports that just 30 minutes of exercise per day, such as swimming, can reduce coronary heart disease in women by 30 to 40 percent.” The general rule, depending on what swimming stroke you prefer, is for every 10 minutes of swimming you can burn from 60-150 calories. Wow, I bet the swimmers who are signed up for the 2014 YMCA Peaks to Portland Swim have been practicing for Saturday! The course is 2.4 miles long from Peaks Island to the East End Beach in Portland and occurs this Saturday, July 12^th.  It’s going to be a fun event and an inspiring one too!  Go cheer them on, but if you’re busy try to go swimming this weekend and soak up all the great benefits!

-Jenna Willey