Blue is the new black…Swimming is back in fashion.
Is Swimming training a new trend in fitness? We think so, and the results worldwide seem to agree.
With the constant and everchanging physical exercise styles…swimming has always been a major player for physical fitness. From the times of the Ancient Greek games (known as The Olympics)…to the original Tarzan Johnny Weissmuller. We have had immortal legends such as Mark Spitz and his mustache….Ian Thorpe “Thorpedo”….and of course Michael Phelps. The greatest open water swimmer of all time Penny Dean (definitely worth a google), proved that men might dominate the pool…but women can dominate the ocean. Humans aren’t designed to swim, but we keep proving that the water is somehow in our DNA.
So what does swimming training do for your health and fitness?
Swimming is a remarkably efficient workout because it combines three important types of exercise into one. Those 3 are Aerobic, Strength, and Strengthening. Simply keeping yourself afloat activates the core muscles in your back and abdomen (that is quite often why swimmers have “washboard abs”). You are also using your legs to kick along with your arms and shoulders to pull yourself through the water. Swimming is an entire body workout!
What evidence is there that swimming is back in fashion?
Let us layout the latest results for 2019:
- In the US, swimming ranks No.3 of sports activities.
- Swimming for fitness ranked No.2 in the growth of top activities in the US.
- According to the FitBit (everyone’s favourite tracker), swimming is the No.3 fitness activity for all ages in Great Britain, No.4 in Australia, and No.7 in the US.
The International Swimming League is a brand new swimming format for competitive swimmers that showcases the best of the best. It is the first time that swimming has really hit the major TV networks outside of the Olympics. Similar to Super Rugby, there are franchises competing against each other. Time isn’t as important, and it is all about competition.
Ok, you are keen to try…How do you begin?
Start out by finding a pool near you. There are a few Auckland City pools that you can swim in. The Olympic offers a 50m swimming pool, which you can use from early morning until late at night.
For your first session…just enjoy the swim. It is as simple as that. Don’t restrict yourself to only doing Freestyle technique, work with whatever you feel comfortable doing. Breastroke, Backstroke and especially Butterfly all offer something different to your muscles.
(Side note: If you are not able to swim…consult a Learn to swim school…get some professional learning before jumping into the deep end.)
So when we say Blue is the new Black, we think that it is here to stay. And the beautiful blue water looks good on everyone.
Blue water looks good on everyone…
