If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get in shape, you’re not alone—it’s a common theme among adults of any age. If you’re not ready for strenuous exercise, don’t worry. There is still a way to increase your strength levels and lose weight, all while having fun at the same time: swimming! Find out why indoor pools are great places to start your fitness journey.
Why swim in indoor pools?
Swimming is great exercise (more on that later), but if you live in a cold climate, it can be hard to find a place to swim without feeling like you’re taking part in a polar bear plunge. However, indoor pools have temperature controls, which can help ensure that you don’t get too cold or too hot when you exercise. Look for one with hot water and full changing rooms to make sure your hair is completely dry before heading outdoors.
Also, look for indoor pools that have convenient hours open for swimming so it’s easy to fit exercise into your busy schedule. When times are convenient, it’s harder to make an excuse to stop exercising.
Swimming burns a lot of calories
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s basic math. Your calories need to be less than the calories your body is using. Swimming is a great exercise because it can burn a lot of calories. Actual calorie burn can vary depending on the stroke you’re doing, so if you’re not sure how many you’re burning in the pool, consider buying a heart rate monitor. Be sure to find one that is designed to be worn in water so it won’t damage you, and look for one that uses a chest strap to accurately track how many calories you’ve burned.
Swimming is ideal for people with injuries or physical limitations
If you are extremely overweight or your joints are in bad shape, running, biking, or even walking can be difficult. However, swimming is a perfect exercise. Water removes up to 90% of your body’s pressure on your joints so you can swim without worrying about pain. In addition, water reduces the possibility of injury.
Swimming is great for your muscles
When you’re biking or running, the only muscles that get exercised are your legs! However, when you are swimming, your whole body is moving. The resistance provided by the water helps build muscle throughout the body, but especially in the quadriceps, triceps, and pecs. This full-body workout can help ensure that your lower body isn’t overdeveloped while your upper body is neglected. The resistance also acts as a natural weight, which means you won’t need to spend more time lifting weights. When you eliminate your resistance training and cardio at the same time, you’re maximizing your efficiency and spending less time exercising.
If you’re looking for a great way to burn calories, but you’re concerned about physical limitations, nothing beats swimming in indoor pools. Make this the year that you really stick to your New Year’s resolution to get fit or lose weight and look for local indoor pools that can help make it happen.
