In the summertime, there’s nothing like getting out to the beach and enjoying the comforts of a local lake. Not all areas have lakes, but in many places across North America, lakes abound. While you’re at the beach with friends and family this summer, try some of these fun swimming strokes that will really give you a workout:
- The Dolphin Kick: Swimmers use the dolphin kick off the starting line of most forward strokes. With your arms by your side and your feet together dive underwater and try to simulate a dolphin. Once you can propel yourself forward by slapping your feet and legs up and down together you can begin to find a rhythm. Trying a dolphin kick is a great workout and a lot of fun.
- The Butterfly: This is one of the hardest swimming strokes to master and often makes those who attempt it look pretty silly. Start face down with your legs together and arms extended in front of you. Start by doing a dolphin kick and pulling both arms down together. Make sure that you move the arms together to generate the most forward movement. If you time your kick and arm swing properly you will pop out of the water. Lead with your head reset and kick and pull again.
- Swimming Backwards: Have you ever tried to swim backwards while facing downward? It’s not easy. Be careful not to run into other swimmers and set up like you would for the butterfly with legs and arms extended. Now try and move back. This engages a bunch of unused muscle groups and can look pretty funny so take turns trying it out.
- Underwater Breast Stroke: See how far you can go underwater with a breast stroke. It is arguably the easiest stroke to do underwater and almost everyone can do it. If you do as many strokes as you can underwater 3 times, you are going to get a pretty good sprint exercise.
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It seems like every time summer rolls around there are half a hundred new fad diets that pop up. Most of these are the same or similar to many other diets in the past. They focus on a food group, certain specific foods, or an overall counting system for watching the food you eat. All of these systems may help certain people and not others. Since there are so many misconceptions about dieting which cause all these fads, I thought it would be a good idea to have a look at the reasons diets fail. If you’ve ever lost weight from dieting and then gained it back, you owe it to yourself to find out why. Read more…
Even if you are eating a wide array of healthy foods it is still possible that you might not be getting enough of a few key nutrients. Recent research has shown that even when eating a healthy diet it might be beneficial to supplement with calcium, vitamins E and D, and magnesium.
Calcium is important in building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth as well as aiding in blood pressure regulation and muscle contraction. The RDA for calcium is 1,000 mg and even more for women over the age of 50. Foods which are high in calcium are milk, yogurt, spinach, tofu and almonds.
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I work behind at a desk, sitting at the computer all day. I love my job, but it does nothing for my physical health. With email and IM, I don’t even have to get up to talk to my colleagues. Despite all this, I make every effort to get blood moving through my body through out the day.
Take the stairs. I know it has been said before, but stairs are a great way to quickly get the heart pumping. I only work on the second floor, so I don’t take a lot of stairs, but I always use them. I even go downstairs to use the bathroom, even though there is one on my floor. I also park on the third floor of the parking garage, just so I can get the stairs.
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Beyond the obvious benefit of looking better and feeling better there are deeper more lasting benefits of getting in shape. People who are in shape actually look younger longer. In shape people also suffer from less anxiety and depression. They also are better able to deal with stress and have more energy. By getting in shape you can decrease the aches and pains you may feel. If you are in shape you will be able to do all of life’s daily activities whether it be walking up a flight of stairs or chasing the dog without becoming winded. Being in shape can boost heart health by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The exercise required to get into shape helps build strong bones and muscles and slows osteoporosis. Getting into shape doesn’t require a huge time commitment. Start slowly with 10 to 15 minutes 3 times a day a few days a week and build up as it becomes easier. Park at the furthest parking spot instead of the closest spot you can find in the parking lot. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. All of the small changes really can add up to a great benefit toward your good health.
In the summertime, there’s nothing like getting out to the beach and enjoying the comforts of a local lake. Not all areas have lakes, but in many places across North America, lakes abound. While you’re at the beach with friends and family this summer, try some of these fun swimming strokes that will really give you a workout:
