Swim Off the Pounds

We all know that in order to lose weight we have to create a calorie deficit. The great thing is, there are many ways to do that! In general, the best way to get the most out of the time you spend exercising is doing things that require the bigger muscles in your body to work. Physical exercise, particularly cardiovascular work that makes your heart beat faster and that utilizes the large muscles of the body, is recommended to help you create a greater daily calorie burn. U.S. Masters Swimming notes that swimming is a fun, healthy and challenging form of exercise appropriate for all fitness and experience levels.

 Here are some advantages of hitting the pool for your daily work out:  
Calorie Burn - Swimming uses lots of muscles in your body, including the major muscles, so you burn a lot while swimming laps

Low Impact - This is especially nice for people with joint problems or a recent injury. You don't have to stop exercising all together if you get hurt! Swim gentle laps or walk laps in the pool while moving your arms. The water reduces stress on joints.
Builds Lean Muscle Mass - Water provides 12 to 14% more resistance than air. The act of swimming -- kicking and moving your arms against the water's resistance -- helps build lean muscle mass and improves overall body composition. Adding kickboards to your swim can help increase muscle gain as well!

It's also a great activity to do with kids or friends! You can take water aerobic classes if laps is too difficult to start out with. Just mix up the water work out, and you'll be sweating even though you feel cool! So next time you are trying to mix up your work out, hit the pool! You'll be happy you did