BajuRenang.com

by: Gary Gresham

A swimming workout can be a new and refreshing way to get or stay in shape. Swimming is a full body aerobic sport that tones muscles, improves strength and flexibility, increases circulation, controls weight and enhances body contours.

Swimming workouts give you a low impact activity that can easily be tailored to match your abilities. A good way to gain cardiovascular stamina is to exercise in a swimming pool.

The secret to a good swimming exercise program is to work with the water. To accomplish this, propel yourself through the water by using your abs, hips and shoulders.

To understand why water exercise works so well, you need to know about water’s unique properties. In water, your body has almost no gravity. You’re relieved of 90% of your body weight so you become very buoyant.

You can float, bob and relax without feeling like you’re putting out any effort. Yet water provides 12 to 14 percent more resistance than air, so as you move through it, it’s like having weights around you.

Swimming laps is great exercise in a swimming pool. Try different strokes to vary the muscles you work to keep your workout balanced.

Going vertical or upright is another very effective exercise in water. These types of water workouts include water walking, jogging, water aerobics, water toning, water therapy, water yoga and water flexibility training.

You can strengthen your muscles with these vertical water workouts because you experience 75% greater resistance than swimming horizontally. This vertical position maximizes the resistance of water against your movements.

Water based activities can provide significant benefits for older adults too. In addition to increasing metabolism, physical activity can improve cardiovascular health and increase strength, not to mention the psychological and social benefits as well.

Joining an aquatics class or just sharing a swimming workout with a friend can help you feel better about yourself. You can be more socially active, engage in community activities and tend to not lose your independence because you are more physically fit.

The bottom line is to choose activities that you enjoy and will stick with. It is never too late to introduce physical activity into your life. Swimming workouts can provide a healthy and enjoyable way to get back the fun you use to have as a child.

Copyright © 2005 Treadmill-Info.com. All Rights Reserved.

About The Author

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html.

by: Naweko Nicole Dial

Spotted, saggy skin. That’s not exactly the image that a soothing day at the beach congers up. Yet that’s precisely how ill-protected skin ends up after years of fun in the sun gone wrong. You can fend off unwanted solar lentigines (those pigmented spots and freckles resulting from sun exposure) and lose, wrinkled skin by avoiding the four most common suncare bloopers.

For starters, Dr. Ara DerMarderosian, professor of biological science at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia suggests using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) higher than 15 to shield the skin from UVA and UVB rays. DerMardersosian explains that, “UVB is what gives the burn. The UVA is more powerful and is what penetrates the skin. This can lead to more deep seeded problems such as cancer.”

Regardless of how simple applying a sunscreen seems, a lot can go wrong with this simple act. It’s these innocent mishaps that allow skin damage to sneak up on even the most devote sunscreen users.

1.Not applying sunscreen soon enough

One of the first foul ups with sunscreen is waiting too long before applying it. For example, one summer, researchers examined the sun protection activities of 352 families as they arrived at the beach. Ninety-eight percent of the families using sunscreen applied it after arrival at the beach. Moreover, the typical delay time for rubbing on sunscreen after arrival to the beach was 51 minutes.

For optimal protection, apply sunscreen at least twenty minutes prior to sun exposure, and reapply the agent every two hours or has directed by the label.

2.Not laying sunscreen on thick enough

The next sun care folly is not applying enough sunscreen to the skin. The United States Food and Drug Administration suggests applying 2 miligrams of sunscreen per each centimeter squared of skin. Yet, when forty-two volunteers applied sunscreen to their bodies while enjoying the sun, scientists observed that the bathers slathered on less than half of the recommended amount of sunscreen.

Don’t be stingy with your sunscreen. Coat your body with a thick layer of sunscreen that the skin absorbs in about one to two minutes.

3.Deceived by clouds

Have you seen those red, confused beach goers duped by clouds? I happens all the time in during overcast San Diego days. And so DerMarderosian recommends using sunscreen even when it’s cloudy. DerMarderosian notes, “Some people don’t know that the sun’s rays can penetrate through the clouds, and they may get a pretty good burn, even though it’s a cloudy day.”

4.Not using food to bolster sun protection

Who says sunscreen only comes in bottles? According the a report in Biomedical Papers, some foods contain agents called phenolics that may protect the skin from UV-induced free radical damage, photo-aging and skin cancer. Phenolic containing foods include: cherries, cocoa, berries, apples, citrus fruit, plums, tomatoes, olives, broccoli, lettuce, soybeans, artichokes and wild rice. Pack some of these solar protecting foods along on your next outing.

Years from now, as you glance over your family photos featuring your days at the beach, I hope you will be able to congratulate yourself for avoiding these four sun-fun-foul-ups, and instead enjoy your tight, lesion free skin.

Sources:

Bech-Thomsen N & Wulf H. Sunbathers’ application of sunscreen is probably inadequate to obtain the sun protection factor assigned to the preparation. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine; December 1992-1993, vol 9, no 6, pp 242-4.

Bickers, D & Athar M. Novel approaches to chemoprevention of skin cancer. Journal of Dermatology; November 2000, vol 27, no 11, pp 691-695.

Mitani, Hiroaki1et al.Topical application of plant extracts containing xanthine derivatives can prevent UV-induced wrinkle formation in hairless mice. Photodermatology Photoimmunology & Photomedicine; April/June 2007, vol 23, no 2-3, pp 86-94.

Robinson, June & Alfred Rademaker. Sun protection by families at the beach. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine; May 1998, vol 152, no 5, pp 466-470.

Svobodová, Alena; Jitka Psotová & Daniela Walterová. Natural phenolics in the prevention of UV-induced skin damage: A review. Biomedical Papers; 2003, vol 147, no2, pp 137-145.

University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Protect Your Skin from the Sun. Newswise; June 28, 2007.

About The Author
Naweko Nicole Dial San-Joyz pioneered the acne trigger approach to naturally controlling acne in her internationally published book, “Acne Messages”. San-Joyz continues to serve the acne community by developing customized acne scar removal treatments for the face and body. If you want free tips for naturally removing acne scarring, visit http://www.Noixia.com.

by: Yana Mikheeva

Ancient Greeks considered that a man who couldn’t read, count and swim – was illiterate. Your terror has coped with the first two skills already? Has he learned swimming already? Not yet? Then, no matter where you have a vacation this summer: at the warm sea or at the health center with a pool, in a canoe tour or at your mother-in-law’s country place – give your child several lessons of a real literacy.

It’s necessary to learn swimming on deep water, so that your child wouldn’t get used to pull down his legs and stand up on the bottom. While not observing this rule, a child’s period of transfer from shallow water to depth is being delayed: he can already hold on the water and dive, but still is afraid to swim in depth. However, avoid any extreme: don’t throw a child that cannot swim into the water. You can throw one and he’ll get out, and another will start sinking and after you take him out, he’ll never go into the water again. But even the one who gets out receives shock, a trauma. Your child doesn’t need this. So, let’s learn swimming in depth, but holding a pool’s side, berth or father’s hand in the beginning.

Should you use an inflatable rubber buoy or no? It’s better without it, but in inflatable armlets. A buoy relaxes; a child can pull down his legs, thinking that he’s still swimming. Armlets prevent a child from sinking, but make him hold his legs and body aflat on the water. And a child should get used not to pull down his legs.

Foam plastic plates are worse than armlets. When a child learns to hold himself on water gradually, you can proceed to a flexible stick for aqua-aerobics. These sticks are called noodles. Children like them as they are bright and colored, they hold body on water well, they can be bent anyway, clutched under armpits, hold behind the back… , this way arms and legs will be free and it’ll be easy to swim using such stick.

The best time for learning swimming in 6 y.o. A child already understands what do you want from him, his coordination is good enough already, and there’s no fear yet and it can be easily subdued.

Firstly we’ll be swimming on a tummy. Holding a pier, side or father, we’re learning moving legs. Legs are knocking the water, like while swimming the crawl: toes are stretched, turned inside slightly, knees don’t bend almost. Now we’ll show what arms should do. Arms execute circular motions, like in breast-stroke. And you shouldn’t be confused with such different styles, this way children can learn swimming easier.

Train a child to breathe out into the water at once. In the beginning, he can put only his mouth into the water. Eyes and nose are still above the water. He should form a habit – as soon as water touches his mouth – we breathe out into the water. Then we get used to put mouth and nose, then mouth, nose, eyes into the water. We breathe evenly, not too deep: half- breath, half- outward breath. Breathe in, look where we’re swimming, pull down the head, and breathe out into the water. Let a child hold firstly a pier, buoy, parent’s hand. And buy him eyeglasses to protect eyes.

Five - ten lessons – and you can see your child can hold in water confidently wearing armlets, swim on his tummy, breathes out into the water. So, it’s time to turn to his back. It’s easier to swim on back: a child doesn’t have to breathe out in water, he can look around while swimming, and use only his legs to swim… Children like swimming on back, but only after they learn swimming on tummy, as although it’s more difficult to swim on a tummy, it’s still more natural. Observe your child holds head, tummy and legs aflat. Let him imagine he’s lying of a sofa. As soon as he feels such position, he’ll learn swimming on back. A child can relax his arms, but also he may rake up slightly.

Don’t be in a hurry to put off armlets, wait till your child learns holding on water confidently. Let him swimming on a tummy, back, diving, swimming by breast-stroke and the crawl, wearing armlets… Then try to loosen armlets by half. If a baby says: “I cannot swim, I’m sinking”, this means it’s not time to put them off yet. Let him swimming wearing them, or try to putt off one by one slowly.

After 30 lessons while swimming, any child, even the shyest one, will swim independently. Have no doubts!

However, in general, it’s better to join a section, so that to form a good skill. When a child can already swim by overarm, for example, it’ll be difficult for a trainer to teach him again.

About The Author

Are you going to get pregnant? Visit our friendly resource and read information on pregnancy and parenting, painless childbirth, growth and development of a baby, baby health, safety, signs of pregnancy.

She also has a blog for women at http://www.womanspassions.com/blog/

by: Kevin Koskella

So you’re ready to get out there and do some open water swimming to prepare for your next triathlon? Before you go dipping into your local body of water, keep these tips in mind:

1. Never swim alone. For safety purposes, always swim with a group or bring along a friend. Given the unknown elements, a dangerous situation may arise such as fog, currents, boats, etc. where you will be in much better shape with others around.

2. Adjust to cold water. If the water you are training in is cold, below 66 degrees fahrenheit, be prepared. Wetsuits are necessary. Wearing a swim cap and earplugs can help keep your head warm. Get in the water slowly and only get in for 5-20 minutes the first time out, gradually increasing your time in the water with each swim.

4. Upon exit of your cold water swim, drink warm fluids, take off your wetsuit, and dress warmly.

3. On sunny days, apply sunscreen 30 minutes before getting in (especially for those with light skin!).

4. Be careful of the fog. It is easy to get lost in foggy weather and lose sight of the shore.

5. Watch the seaweed. If you are ocean swimming and come across seaweed, stay high in the water and do not kick. The seaweed can wrap around you if your legs are kicking.

6. Never swim in a lightning storm.

7. Open water swimming can cause chaffing. Use petroleum jelly if this is a problem.

8. Goggle color. Use dark lenses on sunny days, blue lenses on cloudy days.

Open water swimming can be challenging, but for many it is FUN and a nice change from “following the black line” at the bottom of the pool. Enjoy, and remember, “when in doubt, get out.”

About The Author

Kevin Koskella operates the website www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for beginning through intermediate level triathletes looking for help with swimming. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled “The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming” which is sold on his website in downloadable form.

by: Jonathon Hardcastle

Swimming is one of the most popular forms of aerobic exercise, and it is an excellent activity for anyone who wishes to get fit and stay active. Swimming exercise uses more of the overall muscle mass of the body than almost any other form of exercise, and people get an upper-body workout and a lower-body workout, unlike running or biking or other activities like tennis, where you get a good workout in just the legs. In addition, as with most aerobic exercise it is believed to reduce the harmful effects of stress.

Overall, swimming is an excellent form of exercise. Because the density of the human body is approximately similar to that of water, the body is supported by the water and less stress is therefore placed on joints and bones. Since then the buoyancy of the water protects the joints, water exercise is a particularly good choice for people who are overweight or who are prevented from taking part in other activities because of injuries or other physical limitations. Therefore, swimming is frequently used as an exercise in rehabilitation after injuries or for the disabled. It’s also safe for older people and pregnant women.

For most adults, the upper body is the weakest part of the body. Swimming exercises the arms and upper body more than the legs. In competitive swimming, excessive leg muscles can be seen as a disadvantage as they consume more oxygen, which would be needed for the muscles in the arms, although this depends on the swimming style. While breaststroke generates significant movement with the legs, front crawl propels the body mainly with the arms.

Sometimes the swimming consists of swimming laps using a conventional stroke, such as the front crawl; other forms can include different forms of exercise performed in the water, such as water aerobics. Specifically, swimming and other forms of water exercise, such as water aerobics, offer remarkable cardiovascular benefits and are one of the few forms of exercise that work out the entire body. Swimming is primarily an aerobic exercise due to the relatively long exercise time, requiring a constant oxygen supply to the muscles, except for short sprints where the muscles work anaerobically. Particularly, water aerobics put a lot less stress on the knee and hip joints than running or many other aerobic activities. If you put people in the water, they don’t have that pounding and compression on those joints, so they’re able to exercise much more pain free. Moreover, if the water is warm, water exercise is good for people with arthritis.

Swimming and water aerobics are excellent and popular forms of exercise for the elderly, so long as the primary focus for exercise is not to improve osteoporosis.

About The Author
Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for http://ifitnesscentral.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes articles for http://wonderfulworldoffood.com/ and http://forsocietiessake.com/

by: Gregory De Villiers

Swimming in open water can make a pleasant change from the mind-numbing lengths of a swimming pool. Instead of the claustrophobic feeling of being enclosed in a swimming lane, you have a sense of freedom in the open water. Any large expanse of water will do, whether it is the ocean, a lake or a dam. Open water swimming is great fun if you’re training for a triathlon, iron-man competition or if you’re just wanting to stay in shape and improve your stamina. It is important not just to enjoy your swim, but also to swim safely! Here are a few tips for swimming in open water: (more great swimming and diving tips can be found at http://www.swimmingsafety-tips.com):

1) Don’t just take the plunge, especially if the water is cold. Your body has to adjust to the water temperature gradually. If the water is cold… below 65 degrees Fahrenheit, you should wear a wet suit. A swim cap and earplugs help to keep your head warm. Ear plugs also guard against earache and infections. Ease yourself into the cold water and start with a session of around 15 minutes the first time. You can then gradually increase your time in the water with each swim.

2) Upon leaving the cold water after your swim, take your wet suit off, wrap yourself in a towel, have a warm drink and dress warmly. Your body temperature drops quicker in water and you need to get warm again.

3) For safety purposes, never swim alone. Always take a “swimming buddy” or join a swim club and swim together in a group. In the open water, potentially dangerous situations can arise. There are unknown elements such as currents, boats, seaweed and fog which you may have to negotiate. If you have a buddy or group, there is someone to help you if you get into difficulty.

4) On hot sunny days, especially if you have fair skin, apply waterproof sunscreen at least 20 minutes before your swim. Your skin can burn quite badly in the water if you don’t take the necessary precautions.

5) If you wear spectacles, consider prescription swimming goggles or daily disposable contact lenses with non-prescription goggles over them . In the open water, it is important to see where you’re going and to look out for any boats.

6) Swimming goggles come in various tints. Use blue lenses for cloudy days and dark lenses for bright, sunny days.

7) Beware of fog. It’s easy to lose sight of the shore and get lost in dense fog.

If a lightning storm is brewing, don’t swim. This is one electrifying experience you want to avoid!

9) Chaffing can be a problem, especially in salt water. Rub petroleum jelly over areas of friction if you are prone to chaffing.

10) Be careful of becoming entangled in seaweed when swimming in the ocean. Try not to kick when in seaweed as it tends to wrap around your legs. Also try to stay high in the water.

By following these practical tips, you can ensure that your open water swim is both an enjoyable and safe experience. Swimming is a great way to keep in shape. Get into the water and have some fun! Just remember the old adage “if in doubt, get out.”

About The Author
Gregory De Villiers writes on a variety of sports and health topics. See http://www.swimmingsafety-tips.com for more great tips on swimming and diving.

Note to Publishers: You may freely republish this article as is, without editing or modification, and all links must be kept live.

by: James Davis

Remember when you were young and you couldn’t wait until summer to go swimming and play in the water? Hopefully you learned how to swim when you were a child but if you didn’t, it is never too late to learn. Swimming is not only the best, proven exercise that you can do but also the psychological benefits of swimming can be very fulfilling. Many medical studies have proven this to be a fact for your health and it is also a lot of fun as well.

Swimming builds muscle strength and also builds your physical stamina. Everyone is aware that water has resistance and provides your body with support to make exercise easier. This is very beneficial to elderly people as well as people who suffer from muscular or joint ailments. Always check with your doctor before starting a new exercise regime if you have any physical problems or not. Swimming can also produce great results for your cardiovascular system.

Remember to always start out slow and build up as your body adjusts to the demands of swimming. You can begin with a hand over hand swim and then work up the breaststroke and more demanding forms of swimming. As mentioned before telling your doctor about your new regime is a wise step to take. You may want to consider getting into harder workouts over time such as water aerobics, which is great for your arm and thigh muscles. It’s also good for increasing your heart rate.

Make a flexible schedule that you can live with easily. 30 minutes, when first beginning, will insure that you get the maximum benefit of your workout. It is actually better to swim in shorter blocks of time, according to medical studies and will help you not to become bored with your routine.

An important thing to think is about your swimming technique, do you really know how to swim properly? Take the time to learn. Learn correctly how to do the different styles of swimming such as the breaststroke or backstroke. This will increase the benefits of your swimming workout overall. Get into some kind of routine, flowing from one style of swimming to another, make your workout as varied as you can to keep your interest. Find what works for you and remember to include easy routines as well as more difficult ones. Just keep swimming and don’t make any excuses and find the times that are right for you.

If you can use them, in the pool that you have available, think about wearing flippers. They provide extra resistance and naturally teach your body the correct way to swim with your head lower in the water and your feet and legs higher. If your not doing it correctly then you are wasting a lot of time and energy in the pool without getting all the benefits you want. Another thing you need to be aware of is the importance of wearing the correct swimwear, yes you actually have to get in a bathing suit. That’s enough to put most people off but don’t let it discourage you, you are there to exercise and one day soon you will look better and feel better about it as time goes on.

The point is to get out there and do it, even if you have never learned to swim, just remember that it is the best exercise in the world for you and splashing around in the water is always fun. Soon you will feel better and look better, take a friend along with you and share in the fun.

About The Author
James Davis is a staff writer at http://www.fitness-digest.com and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including http://www.ultimate-relaxation.com.

by: Abby Johnson

What better way to spend a refreshing and playful time with your family than going swimming! Even if you don’t have access to a swimming pool in your own backyard, you can always take a trip to your local lake or beach. You won’t need money to enjoy the water, but you will need enough gas to get there and back

Plus, you can always take a picnic basket full of your favorite healthy snacks with you for a quick lunch. Now, if you happen to live in an area that doesn’t have access to lakes or oceanfront beaches, why not pull out the garden hose for some watery fun?

Using what you have “on hand” with water is always a super way to have some fun on a hot day. Sprinklers, water pistols, and water balloons are great alternatives to keeping cool and having fun on a hot day. Divide your family up into teams and see who gets the most wet. Have a big bowl of fresh, frosty fruit as a reward for the winning team.

Most apartment communities have swimming pools available to their residents. Why not go for a dip? Also, many other community areas have public pools that are quite inexpensive to get into. Some only charge a quarter for access for the entire day. Visiting your local community pool can help build your child(ren)’s social skills too. And that’s always a fabulous idea!

Whatever your plans, don’t forget to put on the sunscreen to protect yourself and your children from the harmful UV rays of the sun. This is especially important on extremely hot days.

You should always make every day count and try and turn each day into a memorable adventure of fun for everyone! And remember, money doesn’t make memories, YOU do!

About The Author
Abby Johnson is a staff writer at http://www.family-review.com and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including http://www.lifestylegazette.com.