Pro's

*Really fun...and refreshing

*Can be done alone or with a friend (and having a friend to exercise with is great for your performance)

*Greatly improves your endurance and overall muscle tone (this is because water causes resistance that you push against every time you move)

*There are only four basic (and simple) strokes - freestyle/the crawl, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly - and knowing all of them isn’t essential for your workout

*It doesn’t feel like a lot of work when you’re really doing a lot

*A pool, lake, ocean or other body of water is usually nearby

Con's

*It can really tire you out, because even if it doesn’t feel like a lot of work…it is, and thus you feel it later on

*If you don’t already have at least semi-high endurance, starting up full force can be really rough (and often this discourages beginners)

*Sometimes pools can be crowded by people who are just lounging when you want to get serious

*Scientists have said (not necessarily proven, but they tend to be right) that it isn’t the best exercise for weight loss (of course, it’s not like you’re not gonna drop a few lbs when you’re really working)

Gear

A bathing suit and a pool are all that’s required, but goggles should be used, and you’ll want to use a cap if you have long hair and are really serious about what you’re doing. Also, for training purposes, things like kickboards can be used. If you’re really not that good, consider strapping on some water wings.

Time

As with most exercises, you should strive to keep your blood pumping for about 30-60 minutes.

Get Started!

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-Dem