When temperatures rise, many people swim to beat the heat. But swimming does a lot more than that. It is a great workout for the whole body. Health experts at the University of California, Berkeley state that swimming is a great way to stay in shape.
Swimming is a very good high-intensity cardio exercise (高度有氧运动). Cardio involves the heart, lungs, and circulatory(血液循环的) system. The Berkeley experts say swimming can increase your heart rate and exercise your lungs. Some high-intensity cardio exercises, such as running, can improve your health but can also be likely to hurt your body. Swimming, on the other hand, is beneficial to the body and people often use it to recover from injuries.
Paul Waas, a coach and former competitive swimmer, says that swimming is more beneficial to the body than other sports because it is low-impact. A mother called Paloma with two daughters says that for her girls, swimming has been more beneficial to the body than some other sports. She said, “So far, I think it's been good for their bodies. It's a high-intensity cardio exercise, as you know. But it spares their knees, their joints, and so on. So it's rare to get injured in swimming.”
The coach adds that swimming is a great exercise for kids who grow a lot in a short amount of time. Coach Waas said, “Swimming is really good for kids who are growing fast. Their bones might be hurting and they're suffering from serious pain all the time. And then they get in the pool and, you know, they can float and stretch out a little bit and it reduces that as well.”
People who are overweight can also find relief through swimming. Their weightlessness in the water can help them to avoid injury as they exercise.
