Some questions about swimming's contribution to fitness
Former Member
Hi,
I am a new member here. Due to a serious knee injury (4 time dislocation), I am interested in taking up swimming. It is especially appealing as it is a low impact sport and involves all parts of the body.
How good is swimming for the heart? I know it forces my heart to work, but is it good to keep it in shape?
Is swimming good for strengthening a knee?
Lastly, swimming is the only sport/exercise I do. As a result, I assume I would have to do quite a lot of swimming to make up for the lack of other exercise. How many hours a week would I have to put in (assuming I swim constant lengths with some rest in between - or as far as I can, but not just standing in the pool).
Sorry for all the questions on my first post
Thanks
Hi, Blade,
There was a recent study published by Stephen Blair and colleagues that found swimming in men was associated with lower all-cause mortality than being sedentary or walking for exercise. This is not all that surprising. But the study also found that swimming was superior to running, and by a fairly significant amount. More research needs to be done, and Dr. Blair told me he was not willing to "go out on a limb" yet and declare that swimming is definitely better for you than running. But it appears to be at least as good, and there are theoretical reasons why it might actually be better.
If you want, send me an email jamesthornton1@comcast.net and i will send you a copy of the study along with some other work done by Dr. Joel Stager on the robust health of aging masters swimmers.
As far as how much to swim, the CDC recommends a half hour a day of moderate exercise. Most swimmers don't just swim straight through but rather do interval training, which increases the effort quite a bit while building in some rest to allow you to go hard again. Personally, I would recommend going to a practice for 1 hour or so, three times a week. You can always add more, but this would be an excellent base.
Definitely consider trying to link up with a masters team in your area. You don't have to be good or want to compete, but you will thank yourself for joining a team. There's so much you can learn from a good coach and the fellowship of your teammates.
Good luck.
Hi, Blade,
There was a recent study published by Stephen Blair and colleagues that found swimming in men was associated with lower all-cause mortality than being sedentary or walking for exercise. This is not all that surprising. But the study also found that swimming was superior to running, and by a fairly significant amount. More research needs to be done, and Dr. Blair told me he was not willing to "go out on a limb" yet and declare that swimming is definitely better for you than running. But it appears to be at least as good, and there are theoretical reasons why it might actually be better.
If you want, send me an email jamesthornton1@comcast.net and i will send you a copy of the study along with some other work done by Dr. Joel Stager on the robust health of aging masters swimmers.
As far as how much to swim, the CDC recommends a half hour a day of moderate exercise. Most swimmers don't just swim straight through but rather do interval training, which increases the effort quite a bit while building in some rest to allow you to go hard again. Personally, I would recommend going to a practice for 1 hour or so, three times a week. You can always add more, but this would be an excellent base.
Definitely consider trying to link up with a masters team in your area. You don't have to be good or want to compete, but you will thank yourself for joining a team. There's so much you can learn from a good coach and the fellowship of your teammates.
Good luck.
