Rise and Exercise

One of the most beneficial exercises to your body overall is swimming. It utilizes practically every muscle constantly, and is an excellent way of building overall tone and strength. In addition, it’s an effective cardiovascular exercise. Plus you don’t get problems in your joints like you do with running and other exercises.

Most likely there is an indoor pool somewhere in your town. Most cities have a local city pool. Utilize this. If you live in a warm area, then take on nature and go outside in a pool or lake. Not only does is it a great workout, but the cold water will stimulate your nerves and wake you up really well. It’s an excellent way of quickly getting over morning grogginess. in my opinion, the colder the better, until you start to get hypothermia, then you may have gone overboard.

When you do go swimming, don’t just stick to one stroke. Try all the different swim strokes. The breast stroke, front crawl, butterfly stroke, backstroke, sidestroke, and even doggy paddle. These different strokes work different muscles, and each are beneficial in different ways.

Breast Stroke: Keep head down, on your belly, and push with both arms at once. starting at the top of your head, down to your sides. Also push with the legs in a frog-kick type fashion in sync with the arms.

Front Crawl: fastest swimming stroke, just swim forward on your belly alternating arms, and kicking like a scissor kick.

Butterfly Stroke: similar to the breast stroke, but the legs continually do a dolphin type push, while your arms push you forward at the same time.

Back stroke: basically just lye on your back and push your self with your arms. You can either go both arms at the same time, or alternate arms while doing either a frong-like or dolphin like leg kick. It’s easier to push with both arms at once rather than alternate.

Sidestroke: simply lye on your side and and pull your arms almost as if you’re pulling yourself with a rope, starting at the top and going down to the middle. Either do a frog kick or a dolphin kick with the feet.

Doggy paddle: Your whole head is generally above water and you keep yourself up by paddling with alternating hands and alternating feet. With this stroke you can either move backward or forward.

Try getting up early and getting out there in the water. Note how well it makes you feel. Try out the different strokes as well.

Good Luck!

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