Recommended Excercise: Swimming
Featured excerpt from the 100 Days of Dance Blog.
Swimming is a low impact exercise that works every muscle in your body. So those with health conditions such as arthritis and back pain, and women who are pregnant, can swim with little risk. Aqua-aerobics classes take place in the pool, and use the water as resistance (weight) for toning. It is usually done in shallow water.
Swimming provides exercise and recreational fun for people of any age, size or fitness level. Basic swimming strokes are easy to learn in a few lessons. Swimming lessons are offered for children and adults alike, and learning to swim can create opportunities for fun and fitness.
Overall Benefits to Swimming
Swimming workouts improve cardiovascular health, raising your heart rate quickly since many muscles are involved. As you become a better swimmer, your heart rate will decrease because your body is getting oxygen to the muscles more effectively, and your heart doesn’t need to beat as fast.
Swimming also improves strength in the arms and legs, providing resistance training with every stroke.
5 More Reasons Why You Should Swim
#1. It’s a good alternative for strength training. YCup your hands while swimming or use devices such as swim paddles (many are like webbed gloves) to increase resistance.
#2. It provides an aerobic workout for people who find running too jarring on their joints. (Keep in mind: Your heart rate may not reflect intensity the same way it does on land. It can be as much as 17 beats per minute slower, in part due to water’s buoyancy and cooling effects.)
#3. It will probably not leave you injured or make your muscles sore because water reduces your weight by over 90 percent.
#4. You can achieve long-term flexibility because you can move your joints through a wider range of motion. (When stretching on land, certain muscles may have to restrict their movement to maintain posture or joint position.)
#5. The pool is a fun place to feel like a kid again. A water class can leave you surprisingly calm, yet energetic.


Jumping rope is more than just a childhood recess activity. It’s a great option for doing cardio. Jumping rope for 10 minutes at 120 RPM produces the same cardiovascular fitness as the following activities:




Often times, people skip out on their workouts because they don’t feel like going to the gym. But the gym isn’t always necessary for a great workout. Using a combination of body weight exercises and inexpensive equipment (such as resistance bands), you can burn calories and get a quality workout all in the comfort of your home.