In a time where many Geneseo students will flock to the Merritt Athletic Center to get that perfect summer bod ready for beach season, many will stumble upon the big question: what is the best exercise method suited for me? Will I tear my muscles if I do X, Y or Z? How expensive is program A compared to program B?
Here’s my solution: from personal experience, I would say swimming is the best all-around method of getting into and staying in healthy shape. I started swimming for my high school team in my freshman year knowing nothing about the sport. As I realized how much better I began to feel throughout the day, I kept doing it and even took it to the next level by joining a national swim team in my junior year. My grades rose, I began to gravitate toward more healthy foods and my posture became better. That’s how most exercises will change you. Swimming, however, does much more than just make you feel better.
Swimming doesn’t have the risk of your tearing muscles apart. In fact, it’s a great low-impact activity since the water’s buoyancy counteracts the force of gravity, putting little stress on your bones and joints. You don’t have to worry about tearing a muscle from a heavy barbell or twisting your ankle from running the wrong way on Merritt’s indoor track.
One may argue that there are some drawbacks to swimming. For instance, the indoor pool at Merritt has a decent amount of chlorine in the water, which can dry your skin and make you smell all day unless you take a shower right after you swim. Although this is true, it can encourage athletes to practice more frequent hygiene maintenance. Additionally, chlorine can eliminate zits.
There is also a decent learning curve to swimming. It isn’t just about flailing your arms and expecting to be propelled forward; you’re required to understand how to move your arms and legs a certain way in order to make the most out of the water. With enough practice and a nice slow progression, you’ll be swimming from one end of the pool to the other in no time!
All in all, I personally believe that swimming is a great sport to get into for working out. It can make you feel better physically and can even improve your performance throughout the day. It’s also an activity that you can do throughout your life because of its low impact on your body. Even though it does take time to learn, with enough practice, you’ll be getting that sweet summer bod in no time!