Swimming gives your muscles, heart and lungs a great workout. When one group of previously inactive middle-aged adults swam for 12 weeks, their oxygen uptake increased an average of 20 percent, and their hearts pumped more blood with each beat. The great thing about swimming is that the buoyancy of the water essentially carries your body weight. And your heart rate is lower in swimming than in other sports. It’s the ideal exercise for people with arthritis and joint problems, and it’s good for anyone who goes with you, too. All you need to start is a swimsuit, and perhaps a pair of goggles and a swim cap. Later, to liven up your pool workouts, you may want to add fins. These make your legs work in both directions, using your thigh, calf and abdominal muscles, and keep you from overworking your arms and shoulders. They’re also helpful when recovering from knee injuries. You could also use a pull-buoy, which is composed of two Styrofoam cylinders held together with cords. You place it between your thighs, and it holds your lower body up in the water, letting you paddle without worrying about kicking. And try a kickboard, a flat piece of Styrofoam you hang on to so that you can kick without paddling or arm strokes. Hand paddles and webbed gloves increase the resistance of the water and are designed to help strengthen your arms, but because they increase the risk of shoulder problems, steer clear. If you’re troubled by swimmer’s ear (a bacterial or fungal infection caused when water washes away protective earwax), you may want to use earplugs. You can also swab your ears with alcohol after swimming or use an over-the-counter preparation of alcohol or glycerin drops. All work well to keep your ears healthy. Most of us can't just leap in the pool and start churning out laps. If you find yourself gasping for breath after one lap, you probably aren't going to be eager to swim again. The trick is to get in shape first. It’s a good idea to walk or use a stationary bicycle so that you'll be fit enough to stay in the water longer when you do climb in. When you are ready to swim, stretch before swimming, either in the pool or out. This warms up your muscles, increasing blood flow and flexibility. You could walk or jog in place in the water or stretch while holding on to the side of the pool. Next comes light swimming to warm up for a few minutes. If all you can do at first is stretch, warm up, paddle a lap, and then cool down, then that's what you should do. Don't force yourself through a painful or exhausting workout. If you're tired, you're going to get hurt. Likewise, if swimming is tiring, you may need to improve your style. Swimming incorrectly can tire you or strain your muscles. One common mistake is swinging or jerking the head excessively or thrashing your arms around. You also may want to learn different strokes to make your pool time more interesting. Another advantage of knowing other strokes is that you can adapt your workout to rest sore or weary muscles. You can sign up for lessons or join a masters’ swim group for coaching. Realize that swimming in water that’s too cold causes you to lose too much body heat and stresses your cardiovascular system. Water that’s too warm overheats you, which also stresses your system. Many pools are kept at 70 to 73 degrees, which requires you to move briskly to stay warm. (Wearing two swimsuits, one atop the other, and a swim cap can help.) Most of us can swim comfortably in temperatures of 82 to 86 degrees, but the 92- to 98-degree temperature of therapeutic pools is designed only for limited movement and is too warm for swimming. Last Updated: 8/23/2002
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