There are a many reasons why swimming and water-based exercisemay be the best choice for seniors. Water based exercises aresecond only to walking in lowest rates for injuries. They arecommonly used for physical therapy modes for those recoveringfrom major surgery. Water also provides more options for thosewho are lacking in general fitness or have a prior injury thatmakes land based activity difficult. Finally, water basedactivities work the entire body, serving as a form of bothstrength training even as aerobic training takes place.
Swimming utilizes nearly all major muscle groups simultaneously,imparting a total body work out. Because of the inherentresistance of the water, swimming develops both muscle strengthand endurance, as well as helps flexibility.
Because of its horde of effects, swimming provides almost all ofthe aerobic benefits of running even as it yields many of thebenefits of resistance training thrown in. Because swimming doesnot put the strain on connective tissues that running, aerobicsand some weight-training regimens do, swimming is the kind oflow-impact work out that is perfect for seniors seeking toregain or maintain their fitness.
This is a sport especially gentle to those who are physicallychallenged. The buoyancy factor of water makes swimming the mostinjury-free exercise available. So it is specificallyinteresting to seniors, especially those with any type of jointissues. In water, a person's body weight is reduced by 90% ascompared to its weight on land. For example, a 220 pound manwill weigh about 22 pounds if he is standing in chin deep water.
Exercises in water can also be done more often because of thelow incidence of injuries and it is more effective forexercising the entire body as any movement in water 12 timesgreater resistance than movement in air.
For the elderly, water fitness is safe, fills the need forexercise, increases a body's range of motion and is a low-impactexercise.
About the author:Isabelle Boulay is a writer and contributor towww.Medopedia.com, where you can find information on arthritistreatments and treatments for high blood pressure.
