Have Fun and Get Fit in the Pool

By Elise Snapp, APRN, family medicine

Finding the right exercise to keep you moving regularly can be a challenge - especially if you're looking for an activity you can do throughout your life. If you want an exercise that provides aerobic benefit, builds strength and is low- to no-impact, head to the pool.

It's likely that the first thing that comes to mind when you think of pools and exercise is swimming. Swimming is an excellent workout that provides many benefits, but if you aren't comfortable swimming laps, aquatic exercise - water aerobics - classes are a great alternative that provide similar benefits.

Like other exercises, don't be afraid to start where you are. That might mean swimming only 1-2 laps your first day in the pool. Or you might do fewer and slower exercises in an aquatic fitness class. That's OK! Every time you get back in the water, you'll be able to do a little bit more.

Benefits of exercising in the pool, whether swimming laps or doing an aquatic fitness class, include:

• A total body workout - you'll engage nearly every major muscle group.
• Cardiovascular, strength and endurance training in a single session, improving heart strength and lung capacity, building muscle mass and increasing your endurance.
• Improving your mental health through the release of endorphins initiated by the exercise, as well as managing stress.
• Low-impact exercise, thanks to the buoyancy the water provides, which is better for your joints and more comfortable.
• An activity you can engage in for a lifetime - it's a great form of exercise during pregnancy and as you age, but it's also a great option for kids of all ages.
• All the benefits of regular exercise, such as lowering blood pressure, helping control blood sugar levels, lowering LDL (bad cholesterol), increasing HDL (good cholesterol) and burning extra calories.

My family enjoys the benefits of swimming, especially in the summer. Our kids participate on a swim team, which has been a great summer sport for them. We spend time together as a family doing something we all love. And our kids are in a sport that will benefit them their whole lives.

What are you waiting for? Dive in and try exercising in the pool today!