Image: Thinkstock
Compared to brisk walking, swimming means that you can meet your fitness goals with less stress in your joints and muscles.
In terms of convenience, it's hard to beat brisk walking as a type of exercise. You don't need any special equipment or location, and most of the people can do it. But for some people—comparable to those with knee pain, hip pain, or those that are obese—walking may be uncomfortable. And in the course of the winter, severe weather in lots of parts of the country could make walking outside unpleasant—even treacherous at times. Water exercise in a heated indoor pool, followed by a soothing nap, could be a hearty alternative that's also good to your heart.
Relatively few people swim often, so large studies the advantages of physical activity on cardiovascular health have checked out swimming alongside other types of exercise. Quite a lot of evidence points to lower rates of heart disease in individuals who do regular, moderate-to-vigorous-intensity exercise—and swimming laps definitely suits the bill.
Water also offers resistance as you progress through it, allowing you to work harder (in the event you're able) with much less likelihood of injury. Swimming laps will also be relaxing and meditative, which may provide some stress relief while adding to its cardiovascular advantages. Finally, swimming is an activity which you could do throughout your life.
If you haven't been swimming shortly, start slowly. Try swimming just five to 10 minutes of laps, specializing in your respiration, stroke, and kick. A pair of well-fitting goggles is a must. If paddling isn't your thing, you'll be able to try water walking or running. Another option is water aerobics, that are exercises done in waist-deep or deeper water that may use floating equipment and weights. Many community centers, YMCAs, and other facilities with pools offer these classes.
A downside to swimming is that it just isn't good for constructing bones since it just isn't weight bearing. This is why swimmers must complement their aquatic training with some weight-bearing exercise, comparable to strength training, walking, dancing, stair climbing, or gardening.
Saunas: A healthy heart and a protracted life?A visit to a fitness center with a pool can include an added bonus to your heart: the prospect to make use of the sauna. The warm, dry air inside a wood-paneled sauna room can provide comfortable rest. But it might also offer some cardiovascular conditioning since the hot temperature gets your heart rate up. Taking a sauna can even lower blood pressure, and a few research suggests that regular sauna use may profit individuals with risk aspects for heart disease, comparable to high cholesterol and diabetes. Last 12 months, a study from Finland, where saunas are deeply embedded within the culture, found that middle-aged men who took saunas more continuously (4 to seven times every week) than those that used them once every week. live longer than Specifically, spending more time within the sauna was related to a lower risk of dying from heart disease. On average, the boys within the study spent 14 minutes per visit within the 175°F heat. As an editorial accompanying the study points out, it's not clear whether the profit stems from dry heat, rest time, a way of life that permits for more rest time, or the friendliness of the sauna. Sona appears to be secure for individuals with heart disease and even mild heart failure. But individuals with unstable chest pain (angina), poorly controlled hypertension, low blood pressure, or other serious heart problems should avoid sleeping. Tips for secure sauna use
|
