First up is an activity you probably associate more with summer. But with several facilities in town with indoor pools (including, of course, our very own Aquaplex with a discount for City employees) it really can be a year-round sport! Benefits of !

Too little time to exercise? Looking for a way to maximize your workout? swimming is your exercise answer!

If you have to get wet for a daily shower, why not combine it with a swim just before? There are many benefits: • Work all muscle groups at once. (Now that is workout efficiency!) • No visible sweating in the water! You remain comfortable. • Choose your own stroke, pace and intensity. o Work on toning, strengthening, endurance. o Add a kick board to focus on your legs o Pull buoy to work out your upper body. o Swim slower to work on toning and general conditioning. o It’s entirely up to you.

Swimming increases the heart rate at a tempo that you control based upon your selected effort and swim speed. It provides a great muscular, endurance, and cardiovascular workout. Here is the hidden secret; swimming activity burns an average of 900 calories per hour. Yes, it’s true.

Meditation is also a large part of this sport. The mind relaxes as you focus on the basics of your swim stroke. Meditation is a potent tool that can benefit your mind, body, and entire life. It enables you to stop and smell the roses while leading a more soothing, stress free life of enjoyment. In addition to Freestyle, butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke, alternative water exercise can be done for similar results. , suspended water jogging, , and just walking through the water are also considered water sports. You can wear a buoyancy belt and run in place in deep water, join a water aerobics group in the shallow end, or even walk laps against the pressure of the water in a waist deep pool. Most pools have water workout equipment available for free loan during your workout. The remarkable properties of water are what make swimming exercise so beneficial. Water lifts the weight off of your body, allowing you to work harder with almost no impact. It’s like moon walking, really. Except, water then provides 12 times the resistance of air in every direction you move. This is the part that helps you build your muscle strength as you work to move through the water. Water is refreshing and cleansing, so you don’t feel yourself sweat. The water temperature that surrounds you, (usually about 84 degrees) helps to cool you throughout your workout.

Start swimming today for your winter exercise challenge!

See you at the pool…