Travelling abroad this summer? Pack your swimming gear, even if you aren’t a skilled swimmer. Get wet, instead of sitting poolside being splashed by people who kick their feet above the waterline. Pools, lakes and oceans are nature’s fitness centres, keeping you fit on your holiday.
Swimming or doing exercises in the water challenges the heart and lungs and your balance. Speed walking in water will also improve muscular strength. The faster you move, the more resistance. In addition, you’ll burn more calories than land exercise at the same speed and intensity.
Walking, running, or calisthenics can be done in shallow or shoulder-deep water. Use different strides (short, long, backwards, sideways) to work different muscles and avoid boredom by varying your movements. Increase or slow your speed to suit your level of fitness or to adjust the intensity of the water’s resistance (the faster you move, the harder your muscles work). To further increase intensity and ensure good traction, wear “aqua” shoes in smooth-bottomed pools.
Because of water’s resistance, shallow water exercise improves muscle strength more than a low-impact aerobics class. You’ll also strengthen the abdominals and the lower back because you are constantly contracting these muscles to perform many of the movements.
If you want to monitor your exercise heart rate, keep in mind you have a lower maximum heart rate during water exercise than exercise on land; about 10-15 beats per minute (BPM) lower. The water’s pressure and coolness slows the heart rate.
Besides your bathing suit, consider packing aqua shoes, goggles, earplugs and nose plugs. Aqua shoes provide traction in the pool, to enable a more powerful push with each step as you speed walk. They prevent slipping on the pool deck, and protect your feet from sharp objects in the pool, lake or ocean – as well as the hot sand on the beach! Goggles reduce eye irritation from chlorine, salty water, and protect against water-borne infections. Goggles also improve underwater vision, allowing you to really appreciate that spectacular coral reef. Earplugs are advised if you are prone to ear problems, or to avoid “swimmers ear” and other water-borne infections. Nose plugs are useful when diving, jumping or while water skiing. They prevent water being forced into your nasal passage, to protect you from chlorine, salty water and any infections.
Choose outdoor pools, if possible; chlorine gas dissipates in open air. Indoor pools may expose you to large amounts of trapped chlorine gas, which can trigger asthma symptoms and other health problems.
On your holidays, enjoy a refreshing workout in the water. Don’t let those water splashers discourage you. And incidentally, kicking the feet above the waterline not only annoys others, it also slows the swimming speed.
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Eve Lees has been active in the health & fitness industry since 1979. Currently, she is a Freelance Health Writer for several publication and speaks to business and private groups on various health topics.