Swimming - 1 hour of swimming burns 790 calories

It's hard to beat swimming when it comes to a sport that strengthens the body, soothes the mind, regulates breathing, stimulates circulation and reduces stress on the joints all in one. Unlike running or weight training, which concentrate on specific muscle groups, swimming benefits the upper body, torso and legs together and is one of the fastest ways to improve general strength, stamina and cardiovascular fitness.

Because swimming is a very low impact exercise, the stress on joints is virtually eliminated, contrary to the potential of back, knee and other muscular injuries common in high impact activities. The water pressure against the legs and arms is also beneficial to the circulatory system, assisting in returning blood to the heart and lungs.

Swimming allows you the flexibility of exercising at your leisure – you can go to the beach or your local swimming pool. To begin a program, start by swimming a length of the pool and rest for 45 seconds. Repeat for a total of 20 minutes. Gradually increase to 2 lengths of the pool and less resting time. This is a particularly good form of exercise for pregnant and elderly women.

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