That's Fit

All year long, we've been sweating our way through gym workouts; running outdoor tracks, trails, and streets; and even braving sheer-faced walls at rock-climbing gyms. This time of year, however, a great alternative is to take a workout into the water.

Look at any avid swimmer and you'll most likely see someone with long, lean, aesthetic physiques. A fantastic cardiovascular workout, swimming also utilizes just about every muscle in your body. Even the most highly trained weightlifter or long distance runner can oftentimes find themselves struggling to catch their breath after a few laps in the pool, which is why many Olympic, pro sports, and boxing trainers typically incorporate some sort of non-impact, water-based exercise into their athlete's workout regimen.

But you needn't be a top-level athlete to benefit from some laps; all that's required is the ability to safely perform at least one basic stroke. Perhaps the most common swim stroke (save for the doggy paddle, that is) you can perform is the breast stroke. Although one of the most difficult strokes to maintain over a long period of time, the breast stroke is among the easier to perfect. The stroke is done while laying flat in the water on your chest, with the arms breaking the surface of the water only slightly and the legs underwater the entire time. The legs do what's known as a frog kick, basically because they look like the kick a frog makes when swimming.

Always be sure to swim in a pool, lake, or ocean that has a lifeguard on duty, and do not exceed your known performance capabilities.

If you have a child with asthma, you might already know that fitness is especially important -- it can help improve childhood asthma. And with summer approaching, you might be thinking about swimming. It's a great physical activity, and kids love it, so you're set, right?

Not so fast. A recent article by Claire McCarthy, M.D., of Harvard Medical School urges parents to take caution with their asthmatic children when it comes to swimming. While the activity itself helps to strengthen their lungs -- and swimming is one form of fitness that's less likely to cause asthma symptoms -- there is one problem. The chlorine.

The article cites a study done in Belgium, where "children who swam as infants in chlorinated swimming pools were more likely to have asthma later in childhood. It appeared that the chlorine may have damaged the lining of the lungs."

I rode bikes with my mom and my son on Sunday. We covered nearly seven miles on our trek around town, stopping at Walgreen's to accomplish an errand and then landing at my sister's house to rest and refuel. While there, I coaxed sis into running two miles with me. Then my mom and I rode back home -- Joey said "no way" to more riding and hung out with his cousins instead. Today, I walked. Tomorrow, I'll probably run some more.

I'm all about mixing it up this summer. Don't want things getting too stale. So I'm putting biking, running, walking, and back-yard exercising on my to-do list. There's also swimming. And jog-strollering. And the trusty gym. And kayaking at a local lake. There's a lot I can do this summer. And that's my plan -- to do a lot.

What's your summer shape-up plan? Give it some thought -- the season is just around the corner.

There's a swimming pool in my neighborhood and while it's full of kids and families during the days and on weekends, early mornings and late evenings are pretty peaceful pool times. No canon balls. No "Marco," "Polo." No screaming. No shouting. No inflated tubes. No rafts. No water torpedos. No dive sticks. Just quiet. And stillness. Which makes it perfect for a water workout.

I'm about to make my splash in that pool. I'm about to stretch and run and jump and swim until my muscles are strong and lean. Julia Roberts is doing it. I can too.

Celebrity trainer Kathy Kaehler has Roberts in the pool and has tasked her with a range of shallow and deep-water activities, cardio exercises -- like jumping jacks, water walking, and water running -- and for toning, Kaehler has Roberts doing scissors, heel lifts, leg circles, and knee swivels.

Pilates is a mind-body exercise that promotes posture, balance, and core strength. Beyond the physical benefits, pilates is a relaxing activity that is soothing to your spirit. When you pair this great activity with the natural resistance of water, you have a real winner. So the next time you feel like trying pilates ... take it to the pool! Women's Health Magazine gives us five pilates moves that are perfect for the shallow end:

• The 50:50 works your chest, abs, waist, shoulders, triceps, back, hamstrings, and thighs.
  
• The Poolates Squat is great for your abs, back, glutes, and quads.
• The Step Star strengthens your arms, abs, waist, back, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
• The Living Dead works your abs, waist, back, and inner thighs as well as stretching your arms and hamstrings.
• The Frog is great for your abs, waist, back, glutes, and legs.

Swimmer's ear is such a pain, literally. But it's really common, and it got me thinking about whether it's ever a serious condition, or just an annoyance.

You're more at risk to develop swimmer's ear if you have a skin condition that makes you scratch your ears, or if earwax buildup or blockage traps water in your ear. You're also more at risk if you have small ear canals that don't drain terribly well, or if you have another medical condition that impairs your immune system.

While not common, it is possible for swimmer's ear to have complications, including temporary hearing loss and more widespread infection, so it's important that you treat it right away. You can use an over-the-counter treatment, but if the problem persists (or if you have an impaired immune system), you should seek medical attention. Your doctor might clean your ears with a suction device or prescribe you a topical or oral medication.

There are a number of things you can do to prevent swimmer's ear. Check out the gallery to see a few of the suggestions the Mayo Clinic has for prevention.

I vividly remember sitting on the edge of my neighbor's pool as a young girl, dipping my toes in the water and just waiting for an hour after lunch to go by so I could get in the pool. (By the way, the "don't swim after eating" thing is basically an old wives tale.) I remember needing a buddy when swimming in the lake by our summer cottage. I remember my mom warning me to wear a life jacket when we'd go boating and swimming in the bay. But never, not once, did anyone ever warn me about diving pelicans.

A tourist was swimming off the coast of St. Petersburg, Florida when a pelican slammed into her face. Apparently, the bird was diving for a fish and hit the swimmer by accident. The swimmer needed stitches for a gash in her face and is back home in Ohio. The bird, unfortunately, died.

The Environmental Health Perspectives journal recently published a paper claiming that certain ingredients in sunscreen are killing coral reefs. National Geographic, among others, picked up on it, and now beach-goers the world over are worried that the sunscreen they use to protect their skin is damaging coral reefs.

The Beauty Brains were asked about this last week, and they broke the issue down into an easy-to-understand format, explaining exactly what the concern was (certain chemicals found in sunscreen can cause bleaching in the reefs). The fact is that, yes, there are chemicals found in sunscreens that are detrimental to the environment, but the quantities listed in the paper failed to take a number of factors into account, such as those same chemicals being present in pollution as well as in sunscreen.

Their final opinion was that sunscreen use is not likely as big a culprit in the death of coral reefs as the paper indicates. However, if you're concerned because you swim near reefs (or just because you don't want to use sunscreen that could be damaging to the environment), you can look for natural sunscreens, or look out for the ingredients The Beauty Brains list as problematic.

Long gone are the days when pregnant women were expected to rest and eat for two. Research shows that, among other benefits, a fit and active pregnancy leads to a healthier heart -- for both mom and baby. A recent study had 10 pregnant women engage in varying levels of physical activity. Both the mother's and baby's responses were monitored. Fetuses whose mothers exercised had significantly lowered heart rates. The heart health benefits were evident at all tested stages of gestation.

If you're pregnant, check with your OB/GYN before beginning an exercise routine. But for most pregnant women low-impact activity is recommended. Walking, yoga, and swimming are great choices for physical activity -- they're low impact, get your heart rate up, and are relatively safe activities. BabyCenter has more ideas for activity during pregnancy.

In this month's issue of Maximum Fitness magazine, the editors offer ways to save 5,000 calories through a mix of food choices and life/fitness activity. Best of all, they tell you how to do it in ONE DAY!!!

Here's how:

STARTING FIRST WITH THE DIET ...

• Save 617 calories by eating an apple and drinking a black coffee (123 calories) instead of a muffin and a double-double coffee (740 calories)
• Save 1,313 calories by eating a grilled chicken sandwich, an apple, and drinking a glass of water (367 calories) instead of a Double Whopper Combo (1,680 calories)
• Save 118 calories by eating an apple (57 calories) instead of a chocolate-glazed or sugared cake donut (175 calories)
• Save 150 calories by drinking three light beers (309 calories) instead of three regular beers (459 calories)
• Save 160 calories by drinking a glass of ice water (0 calories) instead of a can of Coke (160 calories)
• Save 492 calories by eating a top sirloin steak, lean 8oz, trimmed to 1/8-inch with a 4oz sweet potato (402 calories) instead of three slices of 14-inch pizza with pepperoni (894 calories)

AND FINISHING WITH ACTIVITY ...

Here in Florida, we're swimming already. Well, I'm not. The water is just too cold. But my kids are diving right in our neighborhood swimming pool and splashing their little hearts out. I love it. Swimming keeps them outdoors, keeps them entertained, and keeps them fit. We plan to spend many of our summer days frolicking in the water. First, though, I need to figure out if swimming is affecting my four-year-old's ears.

Danny woke up crying the other night, just two hours after he'd gone to bed. His dad and I comforted him and loved him and eventually got him to reveal that his right ear hurt. He grabbed it, pulled at it, and declared, "I hate when this happens!" I figured it was an ear infection -- he's had plenty in his short life -- and so I planned to take him to the doctor the next morning.

After a dose of children's Motrin and a good night's sleep, Danny woke up and happily announced, "That medicine made me better" and "My sleep made me better." I thought for sure his infected ear would still hurt, especially since his small dose of Motrin had long worn off. But it didn't.

I'm thinking now that Danny has swimmer's ear. I'll run it by a doctor for a professional opinion but here are some things I might do if Danny's swim time is causing this condition.

• Dry Danny's ears gently with a towel after each swim.
  
  

• Put a few drops of an alcohol- based ear product (I'll ask a pharmacist for a recommendation) in each of Danny's ears after a swim.
  
  

• See a doctor for prescription antibiotic ear drops if Danny experiences continued ear pain or drainage.

At 11 a.m. every day, my former boss would walk through the office and say "I'm going swimming." He'd be back in the office two hours later. Every day. You could set your watch by him. Rain, snow, or sunshine he always chose swimming as his main exercise. It's no wonder, either. Swimming works nearly every muscle group, the water creates natural resistance but also cushions your joints, and you can modify your workout to match your fitness level. It's a particularly good exercise choice for people with limitations (such as obesity, arthritis, and back pain) for other cardio exercises.

You can get the most out of swimming by improving your technique. For example, you don't want to hold your neck too high in the front crawl, hunch your shoulders in the breaststroke, or fail to properly rotate your hips during the backstroke.

Check out AOL Body for other great workout ideas.

I grew up in Michigan, and every winter was COLD. The only fluctuation was in whether it was cold and dry enough for thick ice to form on the lake so we could safely ice skate, or whether it would just be cold and miserable outside.

I always looked forward to summer -- we had a pool, and the minute it looked like we wouldn't have another freeze, I would beg my folks to uncover it so I could get in. Now, the temperature when we first took the cover off was generally about 60 degrees, so I couldn't exactly spend a day swimming in it, but it was a step toward those summer days of swimming for hours on end, getting out only because Grandma said I had to eat something for lunch.

This got me thinking of what summer outdoor activities I look forward to most as an adult. I still love going to the pool, but now that I live in Florida, I love taking a vacation to the beach. I get up early (usually) and take a long run along the beach, and generally go for a couple more long walks in the sand during the day. Between that, throwing around a football, and jumping through waves, I get a great workout and have a blast.

What summer workout are you looking forward to most? Check out the gallery for inspiration and be sure to vote in the poll!

The heat of summer is fast approaching, meaning it won't be long before you'll be craving the pool. As far as fitness is concerned (that bikini body doesn't come easy) swimming laps is a great workout, but if you've got a pile of cash laying around this AquaFit Hot Tub looks like so much more fun. It has two sides -- one for working out in and one for taking hot relaxing soaks in. You can get your blood pumping by swimming stationary "laps," walking or running underwater, or working out your upper body with the rowing attachments. Then you can cool down with a hydrojet massage and soak in the adjacent hot tub compartment.

This sounds awesome to me, although at $40,000 I doubt I'll be getting one anytime soon!


Via BornRich

If you're looking to mix up your workouts and haven't yet incorporated swimming, you're in luck. Megan Quann Jendrick, who won the 200 meter breaststroke at the 2000 Summer Olympics, has recently published a book with her husband Nathan Jendrick called Get Wet, Get Fit: The Complete Guide to Getting a Swimmer's Body.

The book incorporates advice for swimmers of all levels, telling novices the best way to breathe and competitive swimmers how to improve their backstrokes. And the couple has plenty of experience in helping swimmers improve their technique -- they've both spent time at clinics throughout the country helping swimmers of all ages. She stresses that, by incorporating swimming into your fitness routine, you not only burn fat and calories but use every muscle in your body to give you a lean shape.