Is Swimming Good for Weight Loss?

By: Rose Beasley

With warmer weather comes fewer layers of clothing and that makes a lot of people un-comfortable due to a few extra pounds gained during the winter months.  However, swimming is the perfect way to drop unwanted weight, tone up, and enjoy yourself at the same time. This is because swimming is an aerobic workout that helps strengthen the heart muscle, and is easy on your joints too since the water will support 90 percent of your body weight.

In fact, swimming can actually work as both a cardio and a strength activity. The act of swimming will pump your heart rate up causing calories to burn while the different strokes and fighting through the water’s resistance will help strengthen your muscles.  Swimming truly is a full-body workout. Each stroke uses the muscles in different ways so you are constantly using your core to stay up in the water  incorporating  arms, legs, and core equally.

This makes swimming an excellent choice to help you achieve your weight goals.  Also, because swimming can be done year round, it can help keep you from gaining any of the unwanted weight back.  For the someone who is 125 pounds, doing 30 minutes of freestyle can burn 330 calories, butterfly can burn 330, backstroke can burn 240, and breaststroke can burn 300, per a study conducted by Harvard University. For a 185-pound person, those same workouts would burn 488, 488, 355, and 440 calories respectively.

In comparison, a chart from the American Council of Exercise shows that running for 30 minutes can burn 342 calories for a 120-pound person and 510 calories for a 180-pound person. Cycling at an average of 10 miles per hour for 30 minutes can burn 165 calories for a 120-pound person and 246 calories for a 180-pound person.

Basically, in order to lose about two pounds per week, you will need to burn 500 calories a day minimum. You can either eat 500 less calories, exercise to burn 500 calories, or do a combination of both. Thirty minutes of vigorous butterfly in a 130-pound adult burns 472 calories, so swimming is an excellent choice to meet your deficit goals.

However, as with any diet or lifestyle change, it is important to keep in mind that a big part of reaching your weight loss goals is to develop disciplined eating routines with good proteins and lean fats.  Exercise is wonderful for you but can only accomplish so much by itself. So get out there and make a splash this summer. Don’t worry about that extra jiggle because the more you swim will equal a more toned and happy you!

This article is brought to you by The Swimming Swan 

from The Swimming Swan LLC https://theswimmingswan.com/is-swimming-good-for-weight-loss
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Swim Instructor Spotlight with Patricia Smith

Swim Instructor Spotlight with Patricia Smith

By: Rose Beasley

Where do you live/from: I live in Palm Desert, CA. I was born in Chicago, IL but I grew up in Woodland Hills, CA.

 

 

Please tell us all about your book (inspirations, purpose, etc):Well, during Covid last year, I was laid off from Saks fifth Ave as a Beauty Advisor. After reading a few books, watching a lot of TV, trying to knit, and doing crafts, I decided to do more. I had a swim client named Karen and her daughter Eva, a 3 yr old. For my birthday in April my boyfriend gave me an IPAD. So on our 3rd swimming lesson I thought about asking Eva’s parent’s permission to film the lessons. Her dad said yes and from then on he filmed our lessons. By December 2020 I decided to make a swimming DVD “Emma Learns to Swim” out of the footage to help inspire all parents to get their kids swimming by the age of five. Then, I felt the need to write my first book “Parent & Child Swim Class.”  I have always been told that  I have one of the best parent & child swim classes because  they are fun, educational and keep everyone’s interest.  I hired an illustrator, went through many boxes of swim pictures, put my story together and created my first book. I also have 2 more books coming out this fall.

 

What is something you would like everyone to know about you:I would like everyone to know I am a go getter, keep trying, keep growing,  and I always shoot for the moon. I like the saying go big or go home!

Please share your favorite swimming/lifeguarding memory: I remember saving a 3 yr old boy at the Disneyland Hotel pool. I was fully clothed and having lunch with my family when I saw a boy drowning. I jumped in to save him while his older brother froze and just watched. There were no Parents with them and the Security/ Lifeguards had to be called. A bonus was I got a free change of clothes from the gift shop, and we got fast passes for the rides that day. My kids called me a Hero.

What is the most beautiful place you’ve ever been swimming:Hawaii is the most beautiful place to swim.

Other than swimming, what is your favorite water sport:Swimming really is my favorite water sport!

What do you do for fun:I love listening to soft rock music,  gardening, and getting together with friends and family.

Growing up, what was your dream job:My dream job was to be a teacher. So, being an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor for over 25 yrs counts. I am also a CA licensed Esthetician and enjoy giving and getting facials.

What do you like most about working at The Swimming Swan:I have been with Swimming Swan since 2017 and  I like that the business is organized and the owner appreciates everyone’s qualities and experience.

What is your favorite food: Lobster Ravioli or sushi.

What would be your theme music to your life: Michael Buble’ songs and the Stones.

Who are your real-life heroes and why:I think Firefighters are the real heroes.  It’s a tough job!

What is the best advice you have heard and given:Every child should learn to swim by the age of 5 yrs old. I think it should be a law.

If you want order my Swim DVD or Books email me at phalpern6@aol.com

This article is brought to you by: The Swimming Swan

from The Swimming Swan LLC https://theswimmingswan.com/swim-instructor-spotlight-with-patricia-smith
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National Water Safety Month is Going Strong!

National Water Safety Month is Going Strong!

By: Rose Beasley

The temperatures are rising, the school semester is coming to a close, and people are ready for summer fun. That means the swimming pools are opening everywhere and people are eager to make a splash.  However, all that fun has to be accompanied by some responsibility. National Water Safety Month takes place annually each May, and is proclaimed as a joint effort of the World Waterpark Association, the American Red Cross, the National Recreation and Park Association and the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.

Now in their 11th year of partnering with  NWSM, these organizations represent businesses and other  agencies involved in bringing safe, enjoyable aquatic activities to the American public, from home pools to waterparks and resorts, public swimming and water recreation facilities. This designation has been made in recognition of the continually increasing popularity of swimming and other water-related recreational activities in the United States. This has also resulted in a higher need for ongoing public education concerning safer water practices. Such practices include swim lessons, the buddy system, parental supervision, following the posted rules, and always being “water aware.”

The importance of Water Safety

Water safety is so important because People drown when too much water gets into their lungs causing them to stop producing oxygen into the blood stream. This creates a domino effect in that the brain is now not receiving enough oxygen nor is the rest of the body and it begins to shut down. Drowning is the second most common cause of death from injuries among kids under the age of 14. Plus, it can happen so fast. In many cases, it can happen in less than two minutes after someone’s head is submerged under water and that leaves a very small window of opportunity for rescuing.

Swimming and other aquatic activities are great fun and exercise for the entire family and in no way do we want to discourage you from enjoying them.  Just remember how important it is to follow safety guidelines at the pool, waterpark, beach, lake or anywhere else water activities are involved.

For more information visit the official Red Cross website, Aqua Magazine, or any site involving water safety and precautions.  Let’s make this the safest and most fun summer yet!

This article is brought to you by: The Swimming Swan

from The Swimming Swan LLC https://theswimmingswan.com/national-water-safety-month-is-going-strong
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Helping your child overcome a fear of water

By: Rose Beasley

While many children instantly take to water and all the fun it provides, there are some who cannot get past a fear of it.  Perhaps the water feels odd to their body or stings their eyes. Each child has his or her own reason for not wanting to make a splash in the pool or even the bathtub. Psychologists believe that childhood fear of water can be blamed on developmental immaturity, which they define as the status of a child who exhibits a delay (usually temporary) in reaching developmental landmarks without clinical or historical evidence of damage to the central nervous system. The child may appear younger than his or her chronological age in physical development, gross and fine motor abilities, language development, social awareness, or any combination of the above.

Introducing your child to the water at an early age will really help make the process easier. Many parents enroll their children in baby swimming classes when they are  just a few months old.  This can help infants learn to save themselves in the event of them falling into water unattended and make it less likely that they will be afraid of the water when they get older.

However, if your child already fears the water, this is most likely not an option. As odd as it may seem, you should still start introducing them to the water as soon as possible. The odds that your child will outgrow this fear are not in your favor. Therefore, being exposed to the water and learning that it isn’t going to hurt them is the best way to handle it.

It is very important to encourage your child to confront this fear but you should never make them feel ashamed of it.  Shame is never a healthy approach and can actually make things worse for your child. Instead, make take time to listen to and understand your child’s fear. Once you understand your child’s  fears in relation to the water, the more prepared you’ll be to help your child confront them.

Building Trust by taking slow steps

Taking slow steps is a very important process in helping your child to overcome their fear of water. Forcing your child into the water or tricking them into swimming before he or she is ready is something you never want to do because it can increase their fears and diminish their trust in you to protect them. A much better way is to guide them in the following steps.

1. Take your child to the pool and allow them to observe without going near the water.

2. Encourage them to sit beside you on the edge of the pool.

3. Get in yourself and play catch with some pool toys while your child remains on the edge of   the pool. This allows them to learn that  being at the pool can be fun even if they don’t want to make a splash themselves.

Overcoming their fear of water is not something that is going to happen overnight. However, the results of doing so are well worth the wait. The smile on your face will be just as big as your child’s smile as he or she jumps, splashes, and swims.

 

This article is brought to you by: The Swimming Swan

 

from The Swimming Swan LLC https://theswimmingswan.com/overcome-a-fear-of-water
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