Just curious - casual swimming?

Jen800
Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey guys,

I usually work out for about an hour or so per day with body weight strength training, occasional medium weights, or have a cardio day.

After my workout I like to go in the pool we have outside in the summer. It's nothing fancy, just a backyard pool.
I don't swim like an Olympic competitor obviously since I just worked out for an hour, but I do generally keep my legs kicking and my arms moving for the majority of the time. I do it for about an hour as a cool down.

Not that it really matters anyways - I already worked out! , but what do you guys think? Is there any benefit towards leaning down from this casual exercise afterwards, or is it pretty useless? My heart rate is hardly uneven when I'm in there, so I'm not expecting a huge difference. I'll still do it anyway because I enjoy it, but it would be nice to know what everyone else thinks or their personal experience.

Replies

  • genghis54
    genghis54 Posts: 123 Member
    any excersise is good excersise, i would do it after i work out , i find it relaxing
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    If you enjoy it do it. Not sure what answers you're after? Are you trying to justify what you are doing? Sometimes we do things just because we enjoy them and the fact that they can benefit our health is just a plus point.
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    If you enjoy it do it. Not sure what answers you're after? Are you trying to justify what you are doing? Sometimes we do things just because we enjoy them and the fact that they can benefit our health is just a plus point.

    Nah, not trying to justify. Just curious if others thought this increased their fitness / improved their results more than what they were just doing with their regular workouts.

    And I agree, it is a plus that I enjoy it so much and it can benefit our health! (and fulfill my childhood desire to be the little mermaid...:blushing: )
  • AmberleyAngel
    AmberleyAngel Posts: 160 Member
    Jmy opinion, but I would think it would definitely benefit. Maybe not in the way that your full workout does, but 1. movement 2. resistance from the water has to equal some gentle toning exercise.

    I can't wait until summer to get out into our backyard pool. :bigsmile:
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
    If you enjoy it do it. You will burn more calories just walking around in a pool than you will just walking around. Why, well water offers more resistance than air for one. Two; your body loses heat about 1000 times faster in water than in air. So it will have to compensate to keep your core temp up. Three; any movement is better than sitting on your dukuss. :bigsmile:
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.

    Huh? He's swimming in it, not drinking it. :noway:
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.

    Huh? He's swimming in it, not drinking it. :noway:

    It is absorbed through your skin.
  • Jen800
    Jen800 Posts: 548 Member
    Well, good thing we haven't put chlorine in it yet.. lol. I think a little chlorine isn't going to be the death of me though :wink:

    quote]
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.

    Huh? He's swimming in it, not drinking it. :noway:

    It is absorbed through your skin.
    [/quote]
  • wareagle8706
    wareagle8706 Posts: 1,090 Member
    If you like to do it, do it!! It's activity! And that counts!
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.
    Seriously! Look how fat all those Olympic divers, swimmers and water polo players are.
  • misscrazO
    misscrazO Posts: 33 Member
    I think it is god for you. I leisurely swim in my backyard pool for an hour and it says I burn 1036 calories. Sounds great to me!!
  • dcr5452WECHANGED
    dcr5452WECHANGED Posts: 121 Member
    Many pools that have a higher # of users than a private family pool will use bromine rather than chlorine. I like to swim after my workout. I do laps so naturally I include it in my exercise submissions. I just think its a great way to cool off after you have sweat your *kitten* off doing weights for 30 mins and cardio for 40. I would definitely include it as exercise even if you are not doing laps. I think they have an entry for casual swimming in there.
  • iorahkwano
    iorahkwano Posts: 709 Member
    I read somewhere that swimming in cold water after a workout is good for your muscles. It cools them down, relaxes & prevents muscle cramps since the muscles are loosening up. I always jumped in the pool & waded around after kickboxing or rollerblading.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.
    Seriously! Look how fat all those Olympic divers, swimmers and water polo players are.

    Olympic athletes are the genetically elite. Normal stressors that negatively impact 'normal' people, do not effect them in the same way. It is the other 98% of the population that need to be concerned with such things.
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    Damn. You mean my weightloss since January is purely imaginary, as I've been in the pool 1-2 times a week?
  • Madame_Goldbricker
    Madame_Goldbricker Posts: 1,625 Member
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.
    Seriously! Look how fat all those Olympic divers, swimmers and water polo players are.

    Olympic athletes are the genetically elite. Normal stressors that negatively impact 'normal' people, do not effect them in the same way. It is the other 98% of the population that need to be concerned with such things.

    Umm, seriously are you having a giraffe? :laugh: Simple solution then - take a daily iodine supplement, but the actual amount of iodine the human body needs is pretty minimal. So many people rush off to get their thyroid checked & in most cases there isn't a problem. Although my friend I go swimming with is on Thyroxine. I should just tell her it's all down to her doing a couple of laps & get out of the pool! :flowerforyou:
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    It actually could have a negative impact on your metabolism. Chlorine has been found to decrease iodine uptake in the human body. Iodine is crucial in the formation of your thyroid hormones and thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism.
    Seriously! Look how fat all those Olympic divers, swimmers and water polo players are.

    Olympic athletes are the genetically elite. Normal stressors that negatively impact 'normal' people, do not effect them in the same way. It is the other 98% of the population that need to be concerned with such things.

    :flowerforyou:
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    exercise is never useless! swimming calms me, if nothing else it's great for my emotional well being.
  • SusanDugas
    SusanDugas Posts: 30 Member
    My exercise routine involves casual swimming, water aerobics and/or water jogging. As stated previously, the benefits are tremendous using water resistance added to an exercise. That, combined with the fact that I really, really hate to sweat, makes it the preferable exercise/movement for me. I usually swim with a friend who has a bad knee and the water helps support her weight so she can also participate. I have tried a little bit of weight training, land based movement, but if it does not involve something exciting that makes me forgot I am moving, I am not going to keep it up. Swimming is my exercise, my stress relief, my 'me' time! And the only effects I have noticed from the chlorine is my bathing suit disintegrated after a couple of months when one gym had issues with their indoor pool!
  • jennibear8504
    jennibear8504 Posts: 46
    I have a pool in my back yard too, I love it. I swim on my "lazy days" or when i just want to de-stress, but I do count it as working out because its "extra" I dont do from normal daily life things.... so to be it counts, and its great! Keep it up if you love it!

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