Page 28 - Family Wellness - Spring/Summer 2016

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Swim
HERE
NJ
Team85
Fitness & Wellness team85fitnessand wellness.com
8500 K. Johnson Blvd. Bordentown, NJ 08505 609.298.8585
Princeton Fitness & Wellness Center princetonfitnessand wellness.com
1225 State Road Princeton, NJ 609-683-7888
New Jersey Athletic Club
njac.com
4152 Quakerbridge Road Lawrenceville, NJ 609-275-8900
The College of New Jersey Aquatic Center aquaticcenter.tcnj.edu 2000 Pennington Rd. Ewing Township, NJ 609-771-3249
Hamilton Area YMCA
hamiltonymca.org 1315 Whitehorse Mercerville Rd. Hamilton, NJ 609-581-9622
Peddie Aquatic Center
peddieaquatics.org 180 Etra Rd Hightstown, NJ 609-944-7564
Central Bucks
Family YMCA cbfymca.org
2500 Lower State Road Doylestown, PA 215-348-8131
Newtown Athletic Club
newtownathletic.com 209 Penns Trail Newtown, PA 215-968-0600
PA
JUST 30 MINUTES OF STEADY SWIMMING CAN BURN BETWEEN 200 AND 350 CALORIES
SWIMMING
BURNS AP- PROXIMATELY 3 CALORIES A MILE PER POUND OF BODYWEIGHT
SWIMMING IS GOOD FOR THE HEART, GREAT CAR- DIO EXER- CISE, AND PERFECT FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE, PREGNANT WOMEN AND THOSE RECOVERING FROM INJURIES.
SOURCE: Amateur Swimming Association
torso, and hips. “Swimming offers
a total body workout since it encompasses pulling and kicking through increased resistance,” says Wenclawiak.” It also challenges
the lungs as breath control is fairly important.” She swam competitively for 14 years before becoming a physical therapist and recommends that newcomers build gradually
and focus on their stroke technique before piling on the reps. Sticking with it pays off because one hour
of moderate swimming burns around 500 calories. And the steady resistance from the water helps create flexible and resilient muscle fibers from head to toe.
There are other benefits to swimming, too. “Swimming requires more breath control than activities like running, and this can increase your body’s demand for oxygen and cause your muscles
to work harder,” says Sharon Whelan, a level 3 U.S. Masters swim coach. “Because of this, you can get more bang for you buck in a short amount of time when you
swim.” Whelan notes that different swimming strokes target different muscle groups, but overall, each stroke will use muscles throughout your entire body when done correctly. She says that freestyle
is a good place to start for most people since it isn’t complicated and it generates the most force.
“There are real advantages in swimming when it comes to cross- training,” says Karam. “Especially when you use it as an alternative to something like running, which is high-impact and weight bearing.” Although swimming will help
you avoid the knee, ankle, and hip injuries associated with running, poor swim stroke mechanics can lead to new problems. That’s why Whelan recommends having a swim coach observe your stroke and work with you to improve your technique.
In the end, water-based exercise is about getting fit while cooling off. So don’t forget to enjoy yourself and splash around. You’ll get a better workout if you relax and have fun.
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