Some people like dumbells, treadmills, the pumping of adrenaline, the pulsating of muscles achieved with every press. But some don’t. Some would like an alternative to the gym experience. Some would like to know if it’s possible to lose weight with water aerobics at an indoor pool at a gym in Mission Beach.
High time we saw if swimming and water exercises can be a worthwhile replacement for gym visits. And, don’t fret if you still feel like a fish out of water in, well, water. There are plenty of swimming lessons to take, enough to get you started.
Is exercising in water good?
It is no secret that virtually all health institutions, be they private or public, San Diego Institute for Public Health included, advocate any type of physical activity as no only advisable, but essential to your health. And that’s a fact.
So, it is rather easy to answer the this question. Yes, exercising in water is good for you. It is excellent, as is any other type of physical activity, be it walking for a couple of miles each day, or working out at gym in Mission Beach. However, how do swimming and water exercises compare to more traditional methods of staying fit?
Is swimming just as good as going to the gym?
Hmmm, it’s not actually about swimming being better or worse that other manners of exercising, but it’s about the fact that it’s rather different from them. So, let’s see just how different from hitting the gym swimming is, and if swimming alone is enough for all your workout needs and wants.
How is swimming different from going to the gym?
First and foremost, swimming is a so-called resistance exercise, meaning that it’s quite similar to lifting weights, but without the added stress on your bones and joints. So, swimming works out your muscles, but doesn’t encumber the rest of your body, which is extremely suitable for people with joint problems and altogether weaker disposition.
However, although swimming does target mostly all the muscles in your body, it does strengthen some more than others. So, if you want to put on some even muscle mass, you might want to think about complementing swimming with occasional visits to the gym.
Lastly, swimming combines both the muscle work out with endurance, meaning that you probably won’t have to use the treadmill quite as much as with more traditional outings to the gym. Swimming is excellent cardio in itself.
Is swimming enough?
Depends on what you want to get out of it. If your goal is a lean swimmer’s body, and quite a bit of endurance that stems from regular swimming, then yes, swimming is just enough for everything you’re aiming to accomplish.
If, on the other hand, you want to build muscle mass, swimming is in no way sufficient for that. While swimming does strengthen and increase muscles, it does so in a way different from regular working out sessions at the gym. If muscles, muscles, and more muscles is your dream, then you have lift some weights as well.
What are the benefits of water exercise?
As you may have guessed, the benefits of water exercises are many, in fact, too many to name all at once. That is why we’re going to focus on the five biggest ones.
- It builds your strength – As we’ve said many times now, swimming builds strength by being a resistance exercise. It is much more difficult to swim for a mile than to jog for a mile. This way, your muscles grow strong and develop at a quick rate.
- It puts no stress on your joints – OK, it puts some stress on them, but a lot less stress than all other forms of exercising. There is very little to no risk of injury.
- It improves flexibility – Flexibility is often overlooked when it comes to personal fitness, and it really shouldn’t be. Water provides a unique environment for exercising, one that greatly enhances your body’s flexibility.
- It burns calories – There is a common myth that swimming can’t help you lose weight. Well, it can, and rather quickly so. Swimming is a calorie-torching activity.
- It’s healthy for your heart – Swimming will get your heart to pump like never before and it will boost the efficiency of your cardiovascular system.
“Where can I find a good place for all my water-related exercising endeavors?”
If you need a swimming pool, if you want to try water aerobics, swimming, or any other type of exercising in water, why not give Fit Athletic, the finest gym with an indoor pool in Mission Beach a go? We offer all kinds of water exercises, so you will surely find one that suits your needs. Taking a walk through Belmont Park is great fun, but come and see just how fun our water activities are.