Attain a life skill, take up Swimming today

Swimming is among one of the most important and useful life skill everyone should have. Not only does it allow you to participate in water sports like kayaking, water polo or scuba diving, it is also a preventative measure against accidental drowning. All children should be taught swimming and water safety skills to ensure their safety in and around water.

For a start, floatation devices such as kickboards, floats or inflatable armbands can help you stay afloat so that you can focus on your stroke technique. When you are able to swim without any aid and want to improve on timing and technique, you can switch to other devices which add resistance to your workout to build muscular strength and tone.

Fins fitted on the feet are good for training the legs to help you swim faster. Hand paddles add propulsion to your arm strokes because they move more water. They also work your arms and shoulders harder because of the extra resistance in the water.

The three most popular swimming strokes are free-style, breast-stroke and back-stroke. Free-style is the most popular stroke and the easiest for beginners to learn, while the breast-stroke and butterfly strokes are more difficult to master, but is popular for those who swim to keep fit.

Swimming is beneficial for mothers-to-be. Exercising in water can considerably reduce the joint stiffness and discomfort often associated with pregnancy, and helps strengthen abdominal and shoulder muscles.

For those recovering from surgery or injuries, swimming offers some aerobic benefits as all the major muscle groups are given a workout without having to contend with the strain or impact of exercising on land.