Swimming Successfully

Warmer weather has arrived, and it's time to dig out the swimming gear again. This summer put your suit to good use by starting an exercise regimen revolving around swimming.

Swimming not only utilizes a majority of the major muscle groups, but the water creates a non weight-bearing environment as well. According to University of Missouri Recreation Center Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Meghan Dimsa, swimming is also an excellent activity for anyone suffering from joint pain or problems because it still provides aerobic and anaerobic benefits. This makes it a particularly beneficial activity for overweight people as well.

"Approximately 50% of the adult population is overweight, so reducing jarring to joints is very significant," said Joanne Macher, owner of Macher Swim School in Columbia, MO. When engaging in exercise such as jogging, a large strain is put on joints, ligaments, the back, knees, hips and ankles. When exercising in water, these complications are solved, along with the risk of tripping and falling due to fatigue.

Swimming has benefits particular to women as well. "As a secondary sex characteristic of the female, our hips are wider than men's hips. This puts weight bearing of the woman's body in less alignment when running," said Macher. "Water allows for exercise in a weightless environment and therefore offers an advantage to women who tend to be a little 'hippy' in their adult years." Swimming is also particularly beneficial to women as they age and become more susceptible to osteoporosis.

If you don't know how to swim, learn. It's easy to teach an old dog new tricks in this case, particularly when it comes to the "doggy paddle," or treading water. Both Macher Swim School and the MU Rec Center offer adult swim instruction as a class and on an individual basis.

"Take a couple private swimming lessons to learn basic techniques," said MU Rec Center Aquatic Coordinator and former collegiate swimmer Kate McLoughlin. "You'll learn how to move through the water more efficiently and develop stroke evenly so you don't end up developing one particular muscle group more than another."