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Savvy Seniors Say Swimming an Ideal Way to Exercise
from: Pat MoauroNext to walking, water based exercises have the lowest impact rate for injuries. Water also provides more options for those who are extremely lacking in general fitness or have a previous injury that makes land based activity difficult. Water based activities work the entire body, serving as a form of both strength training even as aerobic training takes place.
Swimming, of course, uses almost all the major muscle groups at the same time, giving a total body workout. Swimming as an activity also places a vigorous demand on your heart and lungs. Because of the water's resistance, swimming develops both muscle strength and endurance, as well as helps to increase flexibility.
Because of its many effects swimming provides almost all of the aerobic benefits of running, along with the many benefits of resistance training thrown in. Swimming doesn't put the strain on connective tissues that running, aerobics and some weight-training regimens do. As a result, swimming is a low-impact workout that's perfect for seniors seeking to regain or maintain their fitness.
Swimming is rapidly gaining popularity as a method for increasing fitness. In particular the sport is exceedingly gentle to the physically challenged. Water's buoyancy factor makes swimming the most injury-free exercise available. Therefore it's particularly appealing to seniors, especially those with any type of joint issues.
In water, a person's body weight is reduced by 90% as compared to its weight on land. A 220-pound man will normally weigh about 22 pounds if he's standing in chin deep water. Exercises in water can also be done more often because of the low incidence of injuries. It's more effective for exercising the entire body as any movement in water has 12 times greater resistance than movement in air. For the elderly, water fitness is safe, fills the need for exercise, increases a body's range of motion and is a low-impact exercise.
A critical factor in the positive effects of swimming is that the resting heart rate in water decreases 10 beats per minute while the maximum heart rate decreases by 10 to 30 beats. The heart pumps just as much blood as in other exercise, but it pumps it more slowly when swimming. This reduction may be caused by the generally lower water temperature and reduced pull of gravity in water, but experts are certain that it occurs. In any case, swimming strengthens the cardiovascular system and improves the body's use of oxygen, all while the heart is able to work less strenuously.
Other forms of water exercise are also excellent for overweight people as the buoyancy of the water takes the strain off the joints making exercise easier and more effective. With Aquatics, one such exercise, both the water and the exercise routine serve to help increase a participant's fitness level. A one-hour class generally includes 50 minutes of water-based exercise as well as warm-up and cool-down exercises. Among the noted benefits is that warm water helps limber up joints and ease the pain of arthritic joints. For Aquatics, the water must be kept at 83 degrees or warmer, with 87 degrees considered ideal.
Because the water supports a person's weight and takes the pressure off joints, those who exercise through Aquatics have fewer aches and pains after exercising. The water's buoyant effect also allows for easier movement as participants move through their routine. Finally, the water offers resistance, allowing exercisers a form of strength training that doesn't put any weight or additional stress on the participant's joints.
Exercising in a pool essentially removes the effects of gravity on an exercise participant. A person can move and not experience the same discomfort that he or she might feel while on land. Perhaps most significantly, participants attempting to balance on one foot in the water will not face potential injuries should they fall over. Someone who manages to fall over in the water is simply not likely to face the possible breakage of any bones that the same fall would produce on land.
Unfortunately, cold water generally increases joint stiffness and therefore creates additional difficulty for people with arthritis to move about easily. Typically, indoor pools are kept at 78 degrees, much too cold for Aquatics, but more appropriate for lap and competitive swimmers.
As well, the air outside the pool should also be warm. People with arthritis who move from a warm pool into significant cooler air can increase their stiffness. Therefore, the need for a heated pool and heated air outside the water can make it difficult to find a facility willing to host Aquatics. These higher water temperatures also make the pool less attractive to lap swimmers, possibly reducing the pool use too much.
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