Swimming is the best way to improve cardiovascular fitness if you are someone who needs to do non weight bearing exercise because it is gentle on the joints.
An ideal form of exercise for obese patients, the elderly, and patients with arthritis (Meredith-Jones, Waters, Legge, & Jones, 2011). (1)
Swimming helps with insulin sensitivity and can even help lower blood pressure.
If weight loss is your goal, certain strokes will burn more calories than others, like butterfly stroke. It’s good to vary strokes for a complete workout (Berkeley Wellness, 2011). (2)
Other aquatic exercise may improve cardiovascular fitness, enhanced aerobic capacity and reduced percent adipose tissue, and it benefits all age groups! (3)
Reference:
(1) Meredith-Jones, K., Waters, D., Legge, M., & Jones, L. (2011). Upright water-based
exercise to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health: A qualitative review. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 19(2), 93-103. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2011.02.002
(2) Berkeley Wellness. (2011, August). Why swimming is so good for you. Retrieved from http://www.berkeleywellness.com/fitness/active-lifestyle/article/why-swimming-so-good-you
(3) Campbell, J. A., D'Acquisto, L. J., D'Acquisto, D. M., & Cline, M. G. (2003). Metabolic and cardiovascular response to shallow water exercise in young and older women. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 35(4), 675-81. doi:10.1249/01.MSS.0000058359.87713.99
Comments