fundamentals
Choosing the Right Exercise
Swimming
Swimming exercises the whole body—the legs, arms, and back—without straining most joints and muscles. Often, swimming is recommended for people who have muscle and joint problems. An exception is the shoulder joint, which can sometimes be stressed by swimming, contributing to Rotator Cuff Injury/Subacromial Bursitis . Swimmers, moving at their own pace and using any stroke, can gradually increase endurance until they can swim for 30 minutes continuously. For weight loss, exercise out of water is slightly more effective than other exercises of a similar intensity in the water because air insulates the body, increasing body temperature and metabolism for up to 18 hours. This process expends extra calories after exercise as well as during exercise. In contrast, water conducts heat away from the body, so that body temperature does not rise and metabolism does not remain increased after swimming. Also, swimming tends not to build muscle, because the muscles are supported by the water, which restricts the type of movements the muscles make. And because swimming is not a weight-bearing exercise, it does not help prevent osteoporosis. People who swim regularly or for long durations should take measures to prevent infection of the ear canal (called Ear Canal Infection (Swimmer's Ear) ). 