Swimming is definitely a popular way to lose weight and get in shape, and with good reason! Swimming not only improves cardiovascular health but it can help with flexibility and joint injuries. Unlike other forms of aerobic exercise, swimming is accessible to people from a wide variety of backgrounds. By starting a swimming regimen, you can increase your lifespan and live a healthier life.

Swimming has a lot of different benefits. When you swim, you're getting a total body workout. Nearly every major muscle group in your body is used during swimming. All the muscle toning helps build your endurance. You'll find that the more often you swim, the more you'll be able to swim for longer periods. Other activities will be easier as well when you improve muscle tone from swimming.

The main reason that swimming is so good for your muscles is the resistance that the body provides. Water provides 775 times more resistance than air. Any exercise that you do on land, like running or jogging, will have a much bigger impact if done underwater. The water acts just like a full set of weights.

Your cardiovascular health can be improved through swimming. The workout you receive when you swim will help your heart to distribute oxygenated blood throughout your body. Since swimming increases your heart rate, it helps your heart pump oxygen-rich blood to all of the major systems of your body.

Swimming is considered to be an accessible sport for people of every age and fitness level. Since swimming is low impact, it is appropriate for people who have joint trouble and the elderly. It's also a great exercise for people who are morbidly overweight. The water will support the person's body and reduce strain.

Although swimming might not be accessible to everyone, it's a safe and effective form of exercise. Because of the muscle toning and aerobic benefits as well as the ease of the workout, swimming can be considered the best form of exercise.

I agree! Swimming is one of my favorite cardio exercises. It is tough... it is exhausting... and yet you can still walk when your done... no wear and tear on the joints.

There are only a couple of limitations to swimming though. One, as with any exercise if you do it to much you get too efficient at it and it loses some of its effectiveness. Mix up your workouts. Two, swimming is not a muscle building exercise, it is a muscle tone and endurance workout. This means you still need to lift weights to build muscle and help prevent diseases like osteoporosis.

I like swimming too, I haven't been doing enough of it lately. I used to swim once a week, but I haven't done it in so long... I can't even remember the last time I swam!

Swimming is a good workout for your arms. I swam some laps the other day and I could really feel the workout in my arms. They were pooped out after I finished 15 laps.

Did you know that after 12 weeks of intense swimming training you can increase your oxygen intake by 20%? Swimming gives the heart, lungs, and muscles a great workout!

I think it's been fifteen or twenty years since I last swam. I've been in the pool a few times in the intervening years, but only socially, messing about if you will. I may look into doing some swimming in the future- the nearest pool is a fair trip away though...

That's too bad year nearest pool is far away. I used to swim once a week, but I stopped doing that for some reason. I really need to get back into it. I could tell a difference in my running when I was doing all of the swimming that I was. I think swimming really did help my lung capacity.