Swimming is fun and relaxing. The water cools down your body and provides buoyancy to relax the muscles and joints. Swimming is one of the best stress busters, and as you move around in the water or swim laps, the muscles get a good workout but you don't actually feel tired until you're out of the water!
Pretty Russian model Natalia Vodianova said in an interview with Spanish Es magazine: "I love swimming. I love being in the water, it's so relaxing.....I love the pool at our mill house, close to London. I also love the beaches in Uruguay and playing in the waves with the kids."
Swimming is a great workout and 30 minutes can burn 200 calories, if you're mixing it up: doing a few laps, lolling around, jumping off the board, diving etc. If you swim laps consistently and at a vigorous pace, then 30 minutes will consume nearly 500 calories. But most people don't have the stamina, or the space, to swim laps for that long. The major problems that people have in swimming are: the lack of technique, and the fear that they will swallow water while breathing.
Swimmers have great bodies because swimming exercises every muscle group. To swim properly your body has to glide through the water; in freestyle, push your arms over and down in a complete motion, while using the lateral muscles of your back to pull forward. A gentle hip roll at the end of the stroke and paddling by the feet give extra power. The breaststroke uses more of the leg muscles, but here too the same principle of gliding the body through the water applies. The backstroke is ideal for those who can't breathe properly while doing freestyle; it helps me relax because the ears are submerged underwater and all the noise is filtered out. Alternative to swimming laps are water aerobics; doing star jumps, running, and kicking underwater while on the shallow side.
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