When you start thinking about starting a new exercise routine, you have to consider which type of cardio workout to do. It may be that you use a combination of various workouts and what you select is usually based on what you enjoy. The benefits of a cardio routine are many such as improving the health of your heart and increasing your energy levels. There are a number of indoor and outdoor activities that can help to get your blood circulating. Let’s talk about the benefits of swimming, one form of cardio activity you may not have thought about.

Swimming has oftentimes been referred to as the perfect all-around exercise since you get to work all of your body with the least amount of stress as you are supported in the water. If you consider running, for instance, there is the risk of putting pressure on your joints although the modern running shoes have helped to reduce this. Nevertheless, it is the case that many types of cardio exercise can lead to minor strains and from time to time longer term stress on the body. If you swim, you will not have this problem and this is why professional athletes often take to the pool when they are working to recover from injury.

Besides some basic preparation and planning, it doesn’t take much to get started on a swimming exercise routine. The type of swimwear called for is different if you want to swim seriously and you will need a good pair of goggles and possibly a swim cap as well. Next, you’ll have to locate a swimming area where you can swim your lengths with little interruption. However, the moment you are ready, you should try to go twice or thrice per week and the progress you make will depend on your current ability.

The kind of swimming you perform in the pool can be diverse in order for you to stay interested and to work your body in different ways. For example, there may be times when you should swim as many lengths as you can manage at a nice steady pace and then alternatively you may want to do more intense sessions of some faster swimming with short rests between a cluster of circuits. Moreover, you can vary the strokes you use and as you grow stronger, there are other swimming aids you can invest in to improve certain aspects of your technique.

If you are using swimming as a component of a cross training fitness regime, try to structure some of your gym exercises to benefit the way you swim. By focusing on certain muscles and flexibility, this will help you the next time you take a swim and as your stroke gets better, your motivation to carry on will be greater. A real benefit you will also experience is what is known as a swimmer’s body which means you will look terrific and feel fantastic.

Undoubtedly, swimming can give you a fantastic cardio exercise and give you the confidence of a great looking body also.