Everyone has their favourites I know.  But the exercise i’m talking about can’t be topped.  So what exercise has the power to melt fat from your body like butter on a hot skillet?

Swimming.

I know that most people would agree with me except for the fact the a lot of people can’t swim.  At least not to the point where their swimming would actually help them lose weight.  But I promise that if you take a little bit of time to learn the basic, not only will this be a fun activity for you, it will also help obliterate the most stubborn of fat!

So let’s talk about the great benefits of swimming;

1.  Very, very easy on the joints!
I’ve also recently started running and while I’m enjoying both, I find I get much better results with swimming.  My muscle’s still hurt after I swim, (mainly because I push myself even in the pool) but a day after swimming and my joints are doing just fine thank you!  In fact, swimming actually helps me get more flexible and makes my joints feel real good!

2.  Mega calories burned
The amount of calories you can burn during swimming is unbelievable.  Mainly because swimming requires your whole body working at the same time.  Your muscles, joints, skeleton, lungs, heart, brain – everything is working to move you through the water!  All this movement takes energy…and that energy has to come from somewhere!  In fact, the amount of calories you burn doesn’t just come from the exercise itself, but in the hours after as well.  This occurs because your muscles have been broken down and must repair – bang!  Prolonged calorie burn.

Of course I’d be re-miss if I didn’t offer some setbacks to swimming. (It saddens me to even mention this small, small hurdles)

1.  Swimming can be expensive
If you don’t live by the ocean, or a river, or lake or if you don’t have a pool in your back yard – finding a place to swim could be difficult for you!  And if you do find a place, it’s probably a community centre where you’ll pay a fee but have to share the pool with kids throwing balls around!  Of course if you’re serious about your health you’d want to do the BEST exercise to be healthy…wouldn’t you?

2.  Bathing fashions are quick to change
Don’t take up swimming if your ‘fashionably-challenged’!  Seriously though…this is the only other drawback I could think of.

So what do you think?  Is swimming for you?  Are you ready to take the plunge?  Drop me a line and let me know what you’ve decided and why you chosen to swim or not-swim.