SWIM BUDDDY AND RESISTANCE TRAINING The Swim Buddy acts as a treadmill allowing the swimmer to be held in place whilst carrying out their swimming exercise or workout and not having to stop or turn around. SWIM BUDDY USED FOR THERAPY Swim Buddy allows the swimmer who is recuperating from injury or illness, to complete their swimming exercise in a manner that is gentle on bones and joints. SWIMMING AND HEALTH BENEFITS Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime - and the health benefits swimming exercise offers for a lifetime are worth the effort it takes to get to the pool. Swimming is one of the few ways of getting exercise that improves your all-round fitness because it can boost strength, stamina and suppleness all at the same time. You can look at it as having all the cardiovascular benefits of running, but with some of the strength-building effects of weight training and some of the suppleness-promoting effects of dance classes. It can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workouts. Before a land workout, you can use the pool for a warm-up session. Swimming with increasing effort to gradually increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity is easily accomplished in the water. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cool-down, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water.  A total swim workout uses all the major muscle groups, and is a demanding aerobic exercise that helps to keep your heart and lungs healthy. Swimming also helps to keep your joints flexible, especially in the neck, shoulders, hips and groin as your limbs and body move through the water.   WEIGHT MANAGEMENT You can increase your level of physical activity by swimming and therefore increase the amount of energy you burn up - a vital component of a weight management programme. SWIMMING EXERCISE FOR SENIORS Another benefit from the strength and improved co-ordination you build up in swimming is the reduction in risk of falls and hip fractures in the elderly. SWIMMING IS KINDER TO YOUR BODY THAN OTHER SPORTS Swimming is, generally, kinder to your body than land-based exercise because your natural buoyancy in water helps you avoid the jarring knocks that can cause injuries. In water you weigh about a tenth of your normal weight, and the range of motion for the less fit person is much wider, as the water supports the weight of your limbs. Therefore, it's a good choice for people who want to exercise, but who might have problems with weight-bearing land-based activities. For example, swimming exercise might suit those who have arthritis or back problems, weight problems or are pregnant. An added bonus for those with lung conditions, such as asthma, is that the air round a swimming pool is usually very humid, which makes breathing more comfortable. WHAT MUSCLES ARE USED IN SWIMMING The particular groups of muscles used in swimming vary according to the stroke you use. But using a variety of backstroke, front crawl (freestyle) and breast stroke will use all major muscle groups: abdominals, biceps and triceps, gluteals, hamstrings and quadriceps. If you are beginning a swimming-for-fitness programme and aren't very fit, start by swimming a length, followed by a rest for 30 seconds to a minute. Don't exhaust yourself by powering up and down the pool. Take it gently. Over a few weeks you can increase the time you spend swimming. When you have developed a certain level of fitness you can adopt a programme of warming up with slow strokes for 5-10 minutes, followed by 20-40 minutes of continuous swimming with different strokes, ending up with a five minute cool-down period with slower, gentler swimming.  A total swimming workout 3-5 times a week should give you a good amount of aerobic exercise to promote the health of the heart and lungs. However swimming exercise will have no effect on the strength of your bones. That is why it is a good idea to walk or jog or other weight-bearing exercise because of the stress it places on bones, helping the bones to maintain or increase their mass.