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
I think it all depends on the time, intensity, and how often you swim. Sure, compared with doing nothing at all, I'm certain you'll notice some changes. Once your body adjusts to the new exercise, at least for me, it seemed to compensate. Compared with running during a similar timeframe, I get much more bang for my buck running than swimming.
After only swimming for about 8 years, I wasn't really getting anywhere...improving swimming and my weight+waist had turned for the worse. I was at 190-195# with a 34" waist. After just 3 months of running 3x/week (about 1 to 1-1/2 hours each), I dropped 20#, and my waist went down to a 30". Not only that, but my swimming also improved.
Certainly in an overall fitness plan, that includes diet, various aerobic+strength exercise, and stretching, swimming does have a place.
I think it all depends on the time, intensity, and how often you swim. Sure, compared with doing nothing at all, I'm certain you'll notice some changes. Once your body adjusts to the new exercise, at least for me, it seemed to compensate. Compared with running during a similar timeframe, I get much more bang for my buck running than swimming.
After only swimming for about 8 years, I wasn't really getting anywhere...improving swimming and my weight+waist had turned for the worse. I was at 190-195# with a 34" waist. After just 3 months of running 3x/week (about 1 to 1-1/2 hours each), I dropped 20#, and my waist went down to a 30". Not only that, but my swimming also improved.
Certainly in an overall fitness plan, that includes diet, various aerobic+strength exercise, and stretching, swimming does have a place.
