Image via Wikipedia

When traveling out of town, you often seek things that make you feel more comfortable; things that allow you to relax and enjoy the atmosphere and for that matter get a drink and possibly some good food. And while we’re on the subject, why not find a spot that caters to those demands and also has a sports atmosphere along with a big screen and coverage of the latest games?

Being new to a city is always an adventure, but what if the only cultural enlightenment you’re after is a good sports bar where you can unwind and have a good time? Depending upon where you find yourself, there are several ways you might track down a good one.

First, check with a local—if you’re taking a cab, ask the cabby where he goes. If that doesn’t work, there are usually some local papers that are advertising for your business and offering the very thing you’re looking for. It almost goes without saying that you can check the local nightlife by going online and searching from there. Though this is definitely a good start, that approach is a bit like taking a shotgun where a rifle is what is needed. You will want to narrow the search.

If you’re in Canada, they have a great system for getting information and feedback on local and national offerings at Canada 411. Not only can you discover the places the locals prefer, but you can also read reviews written on the bigger name establishments.

In any case, there are ways to track down the perfect local sports bar if you know where to look.

Image via Wikipedia

Swimmers need to be at the top of their fitness game. To be a successful swimmer a specific workout plan is required to work on those muscles which will benefit a swimmer in the pool.

It is easy to devise a personalized workout plan if you are a swimmer or are training a swimmer. There are several things to keep in mind when devising a workout plan.

• Make sure the workouts are frequent.  Frequent and shorter workouts seem to benefit swimmers more than less frequent and longer workouts. Although the workouts should be frequent and shorter this does not mean they should be any less challenging.
• Drills are an integral part of any sports workout. Drills involving the practicing of swimming strokes are very important for swimmers.
• Practice swimming different lengths. As with any sport which has various competitive modes, it is a good idea to keep your body and technique up to scratch in all of these areas.
• Train outside of the pool. Many swimmers don’t only train in the pool; they also train with weights and do cardiovascular training. These other forms of workouts are very important for enhancing a swimmers strength and stamina so he or she can perform better in the swimming pool.

Training to be an amazing swimmer takes a great deal of commitment and hard work. It requires a person to work out across a number of different areas and to remain committed to a workout plan. In doing so, a person is enabling themselves to become a better swimmer and to realize his or her potential and goals in the pool.

Image via Wikipedia

The advice to drink enough water on a daily basis is a common one from nutritionists and fitness coaches. This recommendation is especially important for athletes and anyone engaging in constant and strenuous physical activity. The majority of the weight of the human body is made up of water. Even muscles, which are often thought of as solid mass, consist of water to the tune of over 70% of their weight,

The Consequences of Low Water Intake

When athletes do not drink enough water, negative processes take place in the body. An athlete loses water through a variety of ways. Intense athletic activity leads to an overheated body and excessive perspiration. Add to that the regular loss of water through breathing and elimination and the end result is a body that is dehydrated and needs continuous fluid replenishment. A dehydrated athlete can suffer from both physical exhaustion and mental fatigue. Additionally, when the body is dehydrated, blood volume is decreased, leading to the slowing down of the sweating and cooling mechanism.

Determining How Much Water to Drink

There is no set advice that fits every athlete when it comes to the subject of hydration. Many factors come into play. The intensity of the daily activity, the length of physical exertion, the heat of the environment and a person’s own fluid reserves all play a role in determining how much water a particular athlete should drink.

The thirst mechanism should be heeded. If an athlete is feeling thirsty often, he is not drinking enough water. Ideally, athletes should drink before and during their workouts, and immediately after exercising.

Depending upon the formula, these nutritional products can be rich in small sugars, vitamins, herbal ingredients such as Ginseng, plant extracts and several minerals to make an energy potion which can be digested and harnessed quickly, and provide tremendous boost for a tired person for several hours.

However, there has been no proof that any of these heavily marketed products can provide long term benefits in terms of permanently high energy levels or a vastly improved athletic performance.

Professional athletes might have specially designed eating and drinking regimen and they might seek consultancy from expert nutritionists who can design or at the very least recommend the best energy bar and drink to help boost their sports performance but such benefits are visible and meaningful only after substantial improvements in technique and swimming style have already been made, and the metabolism and energy level of such athletes is naturally high to begin with.

However amateur swimmers can use these packaged products to obtain real as well as perceived benefits in terms of higher energy levels, better focus, higher metabolism and even a psychological edge in keeping them motivated.

It is also important that swimmers, regardless of age or workout intensity try both natural products such as fruits, fruit juices, vegetable juices and herbs, as well as artificially developed cocktails of energy bars and drinks before making up their mind as to which nutritional supplements will help them consistently in the long run without side effects.

There are several factors involved in making these decisions. The restrictions imposed by the daily schedule, ability to get up early in the morning and feel motivated enough to jump in the water which can be cold at times, and other factors such as traffic, early morning workplace commitments like meetings etc.  It is also possible that some people prefer to jump in the pool after a long day’s work to get refreshed and rejuvenated.

Ideally the best time to get a good workout from swimming is during the morning well before the rush hour. Due to body’s circadian rhythm and higher energy and hormone levels in the morning, an aerobic exercise such as swimming can give a tremendous boost in a synchronized manner so that the whole day goes by in an ebullient manner.

However, there is also a strong physiological case for an evening swimming routine when the mind and body are very tired and a splash in cold water is just the right medicine for tired muscles.

Ideally if one has enough time, an intense swimming regimen in the morning ranging from 60-70 minutes and a relatively casual swimming regimen in the evening for 30-40 min should be adequate for overall mind body relaxation and conditioning for peak performance with tranquil mindset.

However, a lot of students in Universities and many young and middle aged athletes swim for several hours a day from morning to noon and this regimen is great for those who want to build a professional swimming career.

For professional swimmers there are expert nutritionists, physiotherapists and coaches who together with the athlete determine the best diet for maximum performance. The whole process is covered in a very scientific way with empirical inputs, what works and what doesn’t for each individual athlete.

Depending upon the metabolic profile, fat profile, muscle profile and overall strength and endurance levels of each individual athlete a nutrition program can be designed which has the right balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats and minerals for peak performance.

For amateur swimmers who are serious about maintaining an athletic profile, a high protein, medium carbohydrate and low fat diet is ideal for maximum benefit.  A high protein diet can ensure that the muscle to weight ratio is optimum and the muscle mass is not compromised. A medium carbohydrate diet would make sure that there are enough calories and nutrients in the body for quick energy workout and endurance swimming without undergoing fatigue. Swimmers should avoid complex-sugar rich products which are difficult to metabolize in favor of simple sugars found in fruit juices and vegetables. A low fat intake would make sure that the body does not gain fat and the senses do not become dull.

A diet rich in Vitamin E and A as well as adequate Iron and Zinc is also highly advised for a healthy physical condition. Overall a normal nutritious diet on a daily basis should be more than adequate for most swimmers except professional athletes.

If you have ever seen a group of synchronized swimmers, you may notice that a lot of their time is actually spent outside of the water.  These young ladies will typically spend more than half of their training time on the pool deck, simply rehearsing their routines.  They get it down to the point where they could do the motions in their sleep (which would be very dangerous underwater).  But the most impressive thing about a synchronized swimmer is in her ability to hold her breath under water- their average amount of time is about two minutes.

By contrast, most people who are just swimming for their lives (or even competitive swimmers) are very rarely going to have to hold their breath for more than twenty seconds or so.  They spend their time in the water, doing lap after lap, after lap.  The training is more about getting the strokes down than it is to do anything to the beat of a song.  While there is no right or wrong, how you train is very much informed by what you are out to accomplish when you swim.

If you want to be a great athlete, you have got to eat.  Unless you want to be as anorexic and weak as a lot of European models are, you have got to replenish the calories that you burn off while you work out.  As great as it is to be slim and trim, it is possible to take it to an unhealthy level.  You will know that you are malnourished when, in spite of a lot of great workouts and some decent rest periods, you are not recovering (let alone improving) to the extent that you know you should be doing.

In order to repair your body properly, you have got to eat.  If possible, eat six to eight times a day, balancing it between roughly forty percent carbs, thirty percent proteins and thirty percent fats.  Naturally, you could just scarf pizzas, burgers and fries all day long.  But if you do that, you will probably notice that you are not getting up to your maximum potential.  Keep in mind that no matter how hard you work out, you are what you eat no matter what.

First off, not everybody who is very strong lifts weights.  You can develop a lot of power and stamina through calisthenics and other bodyweight centered exercises.  While you can train yourself in a lot of unusual angles if you add weights into the mixture, they are not critical.  But you are going to need to push (and pull) yourself through a lot of movements, if you are going to develop your muscles and joints into what they are going to need to be for a solid athletic performance.

Naturally, yoga and pilates are great ways to condition your muscles into solid, flexible powerhouses (yes, that is a pilates joke).  But when you do more traditional calisthenics like pushups, pullups and squats, you can condition yourself for greater stamina and power.  Just remember that to keep your cardiovascular endurance up to where it has to be, you need to cross train, too.  Swimming, biking and running are all great ways to do that, as well as skipping rope.  Basically, anything that forces you to push yourself out of your comfort zone is going to cause you get stronger.  Just keep pushing the envelope.

And like a lot of questions the answer is, “That depends.”

That depends on whether the swimmer in questions is working on endurance, speed or just trying to perfect their technique. Taking these out of order it’s important to emphasize how critical technique really is. Not having a specific stroke down just right can not only hamper swimming performance, it can lead to more serious shoulder injuries.

So a good first step is having someone who knows what they are talking about watch you swim. Once a swimmer feels confident they are making the motions correctly, it’s safe to jump off a little and work on endurance and speed.

The remaining answer between those two goals is pretty straight forward and mirrors what a runner might do on land. Marathon runners who are training for a 26-mile race will probably run long distances at a steady, maintainable pace. The same is true for swimmers. Endurance swimming will be great for trimming off unwanted fat and improving cardiovascular stamina.

On the other hand sprinters on land will train by running shorter distances at full speed. This type of explosive action will develop muscle in a different manner than distance running. The same is true for swimming. Training by swimming intervals, or essentially sprinting shorter distances in the water will build more muscle mass and make for an overall faster swimmer.

In the end a combination of the two types of training are ideal for most swimmers. Whether someone is training to swim competitively or just trying to get in better shape, using these two training methods together will undoubtedly yield results.

Dry hair can be and be an unsightly nuisance. It doesn’t have to be that way, however. Many regular swimmers have reported great results with just a few simple steps.

Hair is comprised of two sections, and inside and an outer shell. Chlorine in the water actually acts as a drying agent and leaches essential oils from hair. This breaks down the outer section, exposing the inner section and causing it to dry out.

The lack of oils in hair is what causes the dull look and the cracking of the outer later and splitting of the dry inner layer is what causes split ends. The first step in stopping the destructive process is to rinse your hair with regular water before entering the pool.

Another important tool in the arsenal against straw head is a swimmer’s cap. These rubber shells won’t keep your head completely dry, but they will act as a barrier between your hair and the harsh chemicals.

They also aid in the other good step, which is applying some sort of hair treatment oil before putting on your swim cap. Some swimmers use a coconut hair conditioner, and there are always specific brands of hair treatments made especially for swimmers.

There are also conditioners and shampoos available which are also designed to combat straw head. People with lighter colored hair might find some value in these products as their hair can commonly turn green after a while.

Finally, when it comes to drying your hair try to pat it dry, or let it air dry if it’s short enough. The key is to avoid rubbing your hair.

Some health and fitness specialists say that water’s cooling effects can slow the calorie-burning process. In the water, you don’t heat up as you would on land, so your body doesn’t have to work as hard to cool itself down. What’s more, some people claim to be so hungry after swimming that they eat more calories than they just burned. Other say that swimming makes them so exhausted they’re left with little energy for anything else.

Yes, Swimming Can Promote Weight Loss
Assuming those claims might be true for some people, can you swim to lose weight? Certainly—if you keep in mind some of the pitfalls.

There’s no argument that if you burn more calories than you eat, you’ll lose weight. Any exercise, including swimming, will burn calories. The fact is, if you weigh 150 pounds, you can burn 400 to 700 calories per hour while swimming. And a frequent, consistent, rigorous swimming regimen will “rev up” metabolism and improve the body’s ability to burn fat.

How to Make Swimming a Better Fat Burner
Get serious about your technique. Studies show that skilled swimmers who move with speed and ease in the water burn far more calories than less serious swimmers who just flail around.

Don’t eat high-fat meals after swimming. Avoid taking in all those calories you just burned. Go for high-fiber snacks that are filling but low in fat: fruits, vegetables, nuts and beans, for example.

Don’t exhaust yourself. Start with a couple of swimming sessions per week and gradually work up to five or more. Alternate rigorous strokes like freestyle or butterfly with more leisurely styles like breaststroke and backstroke. Doing so will raise and lower your heart rate, which burns calories more efficiently—and you won’t wear yourself out for the rest of the day.

For swimming there are a few key stretches to consider. It’s important to properly warm up shoulders and arms, as those are the two areas where swimmers are most likely to experience some sort of injury.

The key to good stretching is flexibility. One basic stretch for warming up before entering the pool is to reach upward with each arm alternately, pressing the ear flat and reaching as high as possible. A good thing to keep in mind here is a nice, straight line. It might be tempting to pull or lean forward, but it’s key to maintain a nice, 180 degree line from your heels to your finger tips.

Another good stretch for improving flexibility is the bridge. By bridging your back upward off the ground, you can bring your shoulders in line with your head. If you can’t straighten your legs at first, that’s normal. Try elevating your feet by placing them on the couch or a stack of gym mats.

There are also a number of yoga poses which will help with flexibility and with stretching over all, so it’s worth the time to learn a few basics. A beginner’s yoga reference guide will have some good places to start.

In the end a lot of the traditional arm stretches are going to be good for warming up. Pulling your arm across your chest and stretching the deltoids; pulling your elbow behind your back; locking your arms behind your back and pulling up toward your head.

Just remember, the key is to feel a warm, stretching sensation. If you are feeling acute pain then you are doing it wrong, or need to warm up more slowly.

Swimming is a good exercise option for people of all ages and fitness levels—even those with disabilities or chronic pain. When you’re in the water, your bones and joints don’t bear all your weight. The vigorous movement of swimming places stress not on your weight-bearing joints but on your muscles.

Strength
While swimming is low impact, it’s still a great way to get strong because swimmers use major muscle groups in both the upper and lower body. And water offers 12 times more resistance than air, forcing swimmers’ muscles to work harder.

Endurance
Muscular strength alone is not the same as overall fitness. Water exercise, though, can build both strength and cardiovascular endurance. Swimming develops muscle strength through water resistance and raises cardiovascular endurance through aerobic activity.

Flexibility
Swimming, in tandem with good stretching, can boost flexibility and range of motion. Water’s buoyancy, resistance and temperature encourage muscle flexibility, and the smooth movements of swimming tend to stretch and lengthen muscles.

Weight management
Regular, calorie-burning exercise is key to successful weight management. People weighing 150 pounds can burn about 400 to 700 calories per hour while swimming, depending on their activity level. Frequent, regular swimming can speed metabolism, lower body fat and improve the body’s ability to burn fat.

Cardiovascular health
Because swimming uses so many muscles and your body is working against water resistance, even a low-key water workout can elevate your heart rate. When you’re swimming, your heart, lungs and circulatory system go all out to deliver oxygen and energy to each of your moving parts.

Overall toning
Olympic swimmers have terrific physiques. Years of training in the water have given them long, lean bodies with toned muscles. Swimming is the perfect sport for anyone who wants to feel fit and healthy—and look it.

Swimming is great exercise, especially if you do it regularly. Swimming works every muscle in your body and can also be used as a relaxation technique. Swimming is also fun when in a recreational setting. On a hot day, it’s great to take a dip in the pool and cool off with your friends nearby.

Swimming regularly builds endurance as well as muscle strength. You can also get a cardio-vascular workout, depending on what type of swimming you do. While swimming is a great workout, it is not recommended to lose weight due to the body being in colder water.

Swimming is good for the lungs and can also reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. It also helps keep your joints flexible and is great for people that have a hard time doing land-based exercise. Some people have a hard time running and find that swimming is easier for them.

People with back pain or pregnant woman can have an easier time in the water as it helps with the discomfort of back pain. If you find that you are highly stressed, try swimming. Its benefits have been known to relax and reduce stress levels.

Swimming after having had breast cancer surgery is also recommended because it helps to strengthen the weak muscles. Many times normal exercise like running or bicycling is difficult after surgery. Swimming can help relieve the pain associated with exercise and also helps to lift the spirits of recent surgery patients. Swimming can be taken at a slow pace if need be, and gradually worked up to a faster pace.

Before you begin any exercise program, make sure you talk to your doctor to get the okay from him/her. You made need to take it slow at first, but you will soon find yourself fit and healthy from regular swimming sessions.

Being a coach of a sports team for children can really play an influential part in a kid’s childhood. That first coach is someone that leaves such a lasting impression on the child that they will be talking about it when they are 80 years old and sitting in a nursing home.

With such a task ahead of you as a sports coach it can be a bit intimidating. So how do you know that you are coaching the right way as compared to the wrong way? How do you know that you are leaving a good impression on a child?

The answer really comes down to instinct. If you are coaching from the heart and with the thought that you must guide a child through a very important part of their life and let them learn how to play a certain sport, then you are probably going to leave a very good impression on these children. However, if you are coaching them as if there is a hoard of sports betting sites nipping at your heels and trying to get them to win, then you probably aren’t going to be that coach that everyone remembers.

Children’s sports should be all about having fun, trying out a sport and meeting new friends above everything else. There is absolutely no need for anyone to act like these young children are professional players and have millions of dollars resting on their shoulders, because they don’t.

Remember if you coach with love and instinct then you’ll be a coach that children will love. If you act like these children have the world riding on their shoulders and end up being that screaming, raving coach, then you probably will not be a part of a child’s memory and if you are it won’t be favorable!

Sports are the fun way to keep fit, make friends and even improve self-esteem. From table tennis to football, any person of any age can take up a new sporting hobby that’s perfect for them. What about a sport that’s perfect for the funds too? Everyone these days is doing their best to save money and shave off a little here and little there. It’s true that some sports require pretty pricey equipment; some sports fanatics could easily have a stack of True Religion jeans for what they shell out on a single golf club. However, even if you’ve already cut out daily lattes, you don’t need to cut sports from your budget too; sports are still for everyone, no matter how little you have to spend. To get started, look at these ideas for keeping your love of sports alive without breaking the bank:

• Buy used. Open up the phone book and see if there’s a used sporting goods store in your area. They offer equipment that’s still in useable nick for much less than retail price. Online classifieds are a great place to find deals on equipment too. Your friends or family may also know someone who’s looking to get rid of a bat or helmet that’s been sitting in the garage.

• Start or join a local league. Ask local sporting stores, work colleagues or friends if they know of any amateur groups that get together for weekly games of soccer, tennis or whatever your favorite sport may be. These groups don’t need to shell out for the pricey padding or official balls; they’re in it for the pure love of the game. Can’t find one? How about forming your own? A few flyers around town and you may find a handful of people who’d love to do exactly what you’re doing.

There’s nothing wrong with playing on the computer after a long day at work. It can be very relaxing, and a lot of people enjoy making a few wagers on one of the sports betting sites. If you want to model, though, you’ll have to do more than that. Do you have a portfolio? Have you had any experience? Do you fit the height/weight profile of the companies you’re thinking of applying to? There’s a lot more to being a model than just looking pretty, but too many people don’t realize that. Instead, they get a few pictures taken and wait for the offers to come rolling in.

Unless they’re incredibly striking and very, very lucky, that generally doesn’t happen. Instead, they languish in their ‘real job,’ wondering why they haven’t been ‘discovered’ yet. If you want to be discovered as a model, you have to show the world that there’s something to discover. Do all the research you can on how a person gets into modeling. Narrow that research down to the companies that you’d like to work for, or the agents you’d like to represent you. Then, research them more carefully. Find out what they want, specifically. If you don’t have it, move on to the next company.

Some agents are more specific about people of a certain height, weight, or ‘look.’ When you find an agent that matches up with your abilities and qualifications, send them your photos. These shouldn’t be things a friend took at the beach. They should be professional photos that were taken with modeling in mind, with professionally done hair and makeup if at all possible. That will give the agent a chance to really see how you look, and you may get to proceed from there.

With the National Football League resuming play recently, some of the sports worlds biggest, strongest and fastest athletes will once again take center stage in one of the worlds most physical of sports.
Sports enthusiasts would be hard pressed to find any other activity that boasts 300 pound men, that bench-press 400 pounds and run a sub, 5.0 forty yard dash.
Basketball is not even considered among the “contact-sports”, yet boasts 7 feet tall men weighing 270 pounds that battle for position under the hoop. Basketball could hardly be considered one of the most physical sports as participants rarely engage in hand-to-hand combat during competition.
Football is unique among all the contact sports as contact takes place on every single play. As the ball is snapped, offensive and defensive lineman rush violently into one another to gain an advantage. As a receiver crosses the middle, despite thinking of catching the ball, this player must be thinking of the violent collision that could take place. A running back who is attempting to cross the goal line during short-yardage situations can expect to be run into by 300 pound men willing to do anything and everything to stop the rushing attempt. Event the quarterback who attempts to avoid contact at all cost, fears the hit from a defensive lineman or linebacker as he attempts to complete a pass down field.
About the only other sports that boast a similar amount of contact are rugby and sumo-wrestling. While rugby boasts players nearly as large as NFL lineman, the severity of impact is not the same on each and every play. Sumo wrestlers who have an initial violent collision, often find themselves grappling for the clothing of their counterpart in a non-violent act that concludes their match.
As the NFL season commences, watch the collisions of the interior lineman on every play. Pay attention to the big hits in the secondary. Watch the running back collide with the linebacker on a goal line stand, and then decide if football is the most physical of all contact-sports.

Chlorine is widely regarding as the most effective way to disinfect and prevent bacteria from forming on swimming pools. However, recent research reveals that too much exposure to chlorine can lead to significant respiratory issues, as evidenced by the following two studies:

A recent study conducted by researchers in Belgium and published in the September 2009 issue of Pediatrics found that teenagers who spent more than 1,000 hours in a swimming pool had more than eight times the risk of developing asthma, allergies or other breathing disorders, compared to teens who swam in pools that were disinfected using copper-silver disinfectants.

In another study, researchers at the American College of Sports Medicine found that chlorine levels such as those found in public and home swimming pools may lead to increased breathing problems and a condition known as exercise induced bronchoconstriction in trained swimmers.

The researchers studied the effects of chlorine in two different concentrations, including 0.5 parts-per-million (PPM) and 1.0 PPM (the latter of which is typically found in home and public pools) had on the lung capacity of trained swimmers. Testing was conducted after the swimmers swam in pools with different chlorine concentration levels, as well as after they ran or cycled next to the pools. The researchers found the incidence rate for respiratory trouble was slightly less than 20% when swimmers swam or exercised near the pool with 0.5 PPM; however the incidence rate for respiratory issues climbed to more than 60% when swimmers were exposed to the pool containing a concentration of 1.0 PPM. These findings were regardless of whether the swimmers had a history of prior breathing problems.

The researchers said they had suspected that chlorine played a significant role in the respiratory health of swimmers and cautioned those who swam regularly to be aware of the chlorine concentration levels in the pools in which they are swimming.

They noted that swimming is an exercise that’s generally recommended for those who already have breathing problems, such as asthmatics, and recommended that those with respiratory issues should seek out pools with chlorine concentrations of less than 0.5 PPM.

Most people know that being active is the key to staying healthy well into your senior years. It’s also widely known that as we age, our muscle mass begins to deteriorate, our joints stiffen and our bones become weaker and more frail. Taking up regular daily exercise can help stave off the effects aging has on the body and improve overall health and well being. And it can be fun.

Start simply by incorporating exercise into your daily routine. Go for a walk in the morning or evening, ride a bicycle down the street—whatever you do, the activity doesn’t have to be vigorous or strenuous in order for your body to receive the benefits of exercise. And no matter your physical condition, there’s an activity that’s right for you. Whether that means going to the gym and working out with a friend or personal trainer, or joining a sports team, exercise will keep you healthier and increase longevity.

According to the National Institute on Aging, whatever activity you choose, your focus should be on building up your endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. A sample workout plan might include a mix of stretching the muscles pre- and post-workout, along with walking and light weight lifting. Swimming is another great activity to incorporate into your workout. It not only satisfies helps increase strength, endurance, balance and flexibility, it’s great for burning a high amount of calories and it’s easy on the muscles, bones and joints.

After a few weeks of activity you will start to see benefits, including an increase in energy and strength. You may also being to notice that your getting more quality, restful sleep as your body is responding to the increase in physical activity and seeking ways to repair and restore itself for the next day.

Use common sense when taking up a new exercise routine and make sure to stay hydrated and take plenty of breaks. If it’s been a while since you’ve exerted yourself, make sure that you start gradually into a routine so that you can prevent injury. Also, talk to your physician before starting any activity.

Many people that need to be exercising and thinking more about their health are those that deal with such things as obesity, disabilities or chronic injuries which makes it harder to exercise and easier to be inactive. Swimming and other aquatic exercise are good options for people of all ages and varying fitness levels because they have less impact on your joints than other types of exercise do which makes it easy for those dealing with pain, size or injury issues. Also, there are many health benefits that are associated with swimming like increased flexibility, muscle building, cardiovascular endurance and weight loss or maintenance.

Flexibility or the range of motion of a person’s muscles and joints is often taken for granted by people. You don’t know how much you need it until you experience a lack of it. Water exercises and swimming, when done with good stretching, can improve your flexibility and range of motion. That is why water is often used in therapeutic settings and physical therapy to help increase flexibility for a person. Water makes movements smoother which leads to lengthening, stretching and toning the muscles.

As people age, they tend to lose muscle mass and flexibility which can lead to difficulty in performing simple, everyday tasks. Muscle strength and endurance don’t always go together, but swimming can actually build both of these at the same time. With swimming, the body naturally meets water resistance so no matter what you are doing or what speed you are moving you build muscle. And when you move at a fast pace in the water you not only build muscle strength but endurance as well.

Swimming can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone and is also one of the best cardiovascular exercises available. Those suffering with anything from knee or back problems to disabilities as well as those that are overweight can exercise easily in the water and gain better health and a stronger body as a result. And as an added benefit, those swimming or doing other aquatic exercise can increase their metabolism and in turn lose weight or maintain their weight.

We’re all familiar with the range of swimwear we’d see on a trip to the pool or the beach—anything from boardshorts for teenage guys to one-piece Speedos for serious female swimmers. But swimwear wasn’t always so varied as it is today, or so revealing. Here are some interesting facts about fashion trends in swim attire in the 20th century and earlier.

Mid-1800s: Women wear “swimming gowns” made of wool or flannel (fabrics that don’t become see-through when wet). Weights are sewn into the hems so the dress won’t rise in the water. Men’s suits are also wool, with long sleeves and full-length legs.

Turn of the 20th century: Early swim trunks for men are introduced. More modern in appearance, this attire is still cumbersome: when wet, the trunks weigh as much as nine pounds.

1907: Swimmer and water-ballet performer Annette Kellerman is arrested on a Boston beach for indecent exposure. Her form-fitting, one-piece swimsuit revealed her arms and legs, scandalizing other bathers.

1920s: Although still made mostly of wool, swimwear for men and women now features colorful patterns, leaving behind the drab shades of gray and black that had been the only acceptable colors for swimwear.

1930s: Swimsuits made of cotton are finally becoming widely worn. In the early 1930s, a chest-revealing swimsuit, called the “Topper,” is introduced for men. The detachable top could be zipped away from the trunks. Still a daring concept even for men, the topless suit elicits disapproving stares at the beach—and sometimes arrest for indecent exposure.

1947: The first “bikini” is introduced after World War II. Modest compared to current versions, the early bikini is essentially shorts and a crop top that exposes a small section of midriff. The suits were named for Bikini Atoll, islands in the Pacific Ocean and the site of nuclear weapons testing. It is theorized that the swimsuit creators believed the bikini swimsuit would produce an explosive cultural shock that was equivalent to that of the atomic bomb.

Swimming has also been used as a method of rehab or improvement in motor function for accident victims and the disabled. While swimming allows people to be in a weightless environment it’s also ideal for all ages. Learning how to properly swim at a young age makes all fear of drowning disappear, which allows families and friends to enjoy the water anytime. For instance, during vacations and holidays the water can be a great way to getaway and to get where you want to go. Cruise deals offer a vacation with its own fitness center as big as an ocean.

Not only does a cruise take you by way of the waves, but a number of pools are normally present on various decks so that passengers can enjoy the water before arriving on exotic islands such as, the Bahamas or the Caribbean.

There’s no question that swimming benefits your body—greater strength, fitness and flexibility—but exercising in water can do lot of good for your head, too. Swimming can energize your mind, lift your spirits and enhance your sense of well-being. Avid swimmers say nothing beats the calm yet energized mental state brought about by a vigorous session in the water.

Stress relief
Swimming can be an ideal way to take a break from worries, pressures and negative distractions. During your swim time, it’s just you and the water. You are free to focus on nothing but the rhythm of your strokes.

Meditation
Many swimmers report attaining a satisfying frame of mind while swimming that resembles a meditative state. The repetitive strokes, rhythmic breathing, quiet of the water and lack of distractions can lead to a “swimmer’s bliss” that stays with you long after you’re out of the pool. After all, our bodies consist of about 60 percent water, so it’s no wonder we can feel a primal gratification in being enveloped by water.

Self-esteem
Keeping a regular swimming schedule can entail self-discipline, goal setting, time management and prioritizing—all of which raise confidence in our ability to set and meet goals. Add to this the mental and physical satisfaction of exercising in the water. And don’t forget how great it feels when those extra pounds fall away!

Mental acuity
Research indicates that swimming, like all aerobic exercise, may protect against mild cognitive impairment by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain and lowering risk of cardiovascular diseases that can harm brain function. Scientists also say that regular aerobic exercise helps the brain work at top capacity by creating new nerve cells and boosting brain chemicals.

Less depression
Many current studies of the brain during physical activity indicate that exercise can have effects that are similar to antidepressant medications. During exercise, levels of mood-lifting brain chemicals are raised—and levels can stay elevated days after the exercise session. Brisk exercise like swimming also can help you get a good night’s sleep, which wards off depression.

Armed with some knowledge and caution, though, you and your family can have plenty of safe fun at your favorite lakes.

Watch the Kids

Children need to be constantly watched around water. Babies and toddlers can drown in only a few of water. Young children should have an adult swimmer within arm’s reach at all times.

Even children who know how to swim are at risk for drowning. Always keep them in sight.

Have young children and weak swimmers wear snug-fitting, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vests. Inflatable “water wings” do not offer adequate drowning protection.

Know the Risks

Check the weather report before you go. Stay home if bad weather is expected. If weather conditions change for the worse while you’re in the water—especially if there’s thunder and lightning—get out immediately.

Lake waters might hide sharp rocks, glass or trash. Wear aqua socks or water shoes.

Walk carefully into the water. Lakes might be shallow near the shore and then suddenly get deep.

Don’t dive into water. You can’t be sure how deep the water is, and large objects (like rocks and boulders) might be hidden underneath.

Avoid water that has floating mats of algae. This might be “blue-green algae,” which is toxic to humans and pets. Don’t swim in algae-covered water—and don’t let pets drink from it.

Practice Water Safety

Always swim with a “buddy” and only in designated areas marked by buoys and ropes and supervised by lifeguards.

Be aware of any recreational activities happening nearby, such as boating, canoeing, water skiing and windsurfing.

Keep watching yourself and the kids for these signs: fatigue, hunger, cold, too much sun.

Freestyle or front crawl
The front crawl (known among competitive swimmers as the freestyle) is the most widely used stroke, and the fastest and most efficient. Face down in the water, the freestyle swimmer pulls the arms through the water in alternating movements, in a windmill-like motion. Freestylers use a “flutter kick” for propulsion and balance.

The freestyle rigorously exercises the tricep muscles (the back of the upper arms), biceps (the front of the upper arms) and deltoids (the rounded part of the shoulders). Freestyle also works out the abdominal muscles, pectorals (chest muscles) and gluteals (muscles in the buttocks). The flutter kick uses the quadriceps (thigh muscles) and the abdominals.

Breaststroke
The most popular stroke among recreational swimmers, the breaststroke is done with the chest facing the water. The swimmer pulls the arms along the body while legs do a “frog kick.”

The water-resistance properties of this stroke particularly challenge the inner and outer thigh muscles, the calf muscles and the triceps.

Butterfly
The most difficult stroke to master, the butterfly employs the legs and feet in a wavelike “dolphin kick.” The swimmer sweeps the arms into the water with a circular motion.

The arms’ rotation builds the shoulders’ deltoid muscles, the trapezius muscles (around the neck) and, in lesser roles, the biceps and triceps. Abdominals undulate the torso and the back’s broad lateral muscles provide stability. The dolphin kick works the gluteals, quads, hamstrings (the rear thigh muscles) and calves.

Backstroke
Similar to freestyle except that the swimmer lies on the back, this stroke uses a windmill-like motion of the arms. The swimmer continuously flutter-kicks the legs.

This stroke uses many of the same muscles as freestyle, but it gives a more intense workout to the back muscles and hamstrings. Also exercised are the biceps, triceps, forearm muscles, shoulder muscles, pectorals, abdominals and calf muscles.