HOW SWIMMING AIDS YOUR HEALTH

We all know or believe that swimming being an exercise is good for the body which is very true. What a lot of us don't know though is the "real good" swimming does to our body such as lowering the risk of heart diseases and that's what I'll be sharing with us at this moment in time.

Swimming builds your muscle strength

Water is 12 times denser than air thus providing resistance that makes your muscles work harder and in return, toning and building those muscles when you engage in swimming. The resistance provided by the water is so much like that of weights in the gym. The amount of resistance you generate depends on how hard you are pushing against the water. Doctors usually recommend swimming to injured athletes to help them stay in shape and prevent further injuries.
Swimming also has a way of strengthening the muscles in your torso that enables you to stand erect.

Swimming improves flexibility

Swimming is an n excellent exercise that can be used to increase flexibility because swimming allows you to utilize most of the muscles in your body. Swimming helps you stretch and elongate your entire body with every stroke. Add workouts and stretches in water to this and you'll discover that poses that are difficult to accomplish on land become easier to achieve in water.
Additionally, if you are suffering from inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, swimming helps you to move those stiff joints while bearing less weight.

Swimming helps reduce the risk of heart diseases

Being an aerobic exercise,swimming is very advantageous to cardiovascular health. Swimming helps to improve heart rate and blood flow. Moreso, continued swimming helps to burn lots of calories which is very necessary for people suffering from obesity. All these help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Swimming aids you in exercising your body for longer periods of time

One can easily swim for long periods of time because water supports body weight without stress being applied to joints and bones. This is highly beneficial to the aged who may be unable to engage in other gruelling exercise as a result of their age. Studies have shown that swimming maintains or at times improves bone health because being in water, one is less likely to come in contact with hard surfaces that may be injurious to the bone.

Swimming improves mental health

Swimming and warm water therapy decrease anxiety and depression while improving one's mood. Swimming boosts the hormone endorphin which when released makes us feel better, improves our  mood, increase pleasure and reduce pain. It has also been revealed that swimming produces the same relaxation responses as yoga.
Swimming in a cool pool is also a good way to exercise safely on a hot day. 

~Beezle

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE OLYMPICS

The biggest perennial event in the world of sports is here again and like every other previously held Olympics, Rio 2016 promises to be lit!

Some people know about the Olympics while some very few, surprisingly, don't know about it. Overall though, the Olympics doesn't seem to garner as much interest as it should when compared to other sporting events like the FIFA World Cup. Today, I'll be sharing with us some interesting facts about the Olympics with the hope of endearing our hearts to the games as we would our babe(s). Without much ado, let's dig in! 

The Five Ring Symbol and Brief History of the Olympics

The Olympic games started the wooded valley of Olympia in Greece in 776 BC. It has been argued that the games held in 776 BC were not the first, but rather the first games held after the Olympics was organized into a festival held every four years.

Why Every Four Years?

Very Simple. Scholars learnt that the planet Venus traced a perfect pentacle across the ecliptic sky every four years and as a tribute to this magic of Venus, the Greeks used her four year cycle to organize the Olympics.

The Five Ring Symbol

The PENTACLE traced by Venus (a five -pointed star) nearly became the official symbol of the Olympics but was belatedly modified to five intersecting rings to better reflect the games' spirit of inclusion and harmony.

The Winners Medal and Importance of The Olympics

Initially, winners at the early Olympics were crowned with a victor's wreath to signify honor. The wreath was made from a sacred Olive tree reportedly planted by Hercules behind the temple of Zeus. Today though,  the wreaths have been replaced by medals of gold, silver and bronze while still serving the same purpose.

Importance

To the ancient Greeks, the ultimate goal was to be the best. All aspects of life especially athletics was centered around this concept such that it's considered an honor to be victorious at the Olympics as indicated by the prize given to Olympic victors back then - Olive wreaths. The Olympics also serves to promote harmony and friendship among nations  of the world.

The First Contested Event

The first event contested at the Olympics was the stadion - a sprint of about 190 meters. It was also the only event contested at the 776 BC Olympics.

The Modern Olympics

The Olympics was banned in 394 AD but was revived and made international in 1896. The winter games were added in 1924. The Olympics were forcibly cancelled in 1916, 1940 and 1944 due to World Wars I & II and was resumed in 1948.

The IOC

The body governing the modern Olympics is known as the international Olympic committee and was founded in 1894 in Paris, France with its headquarters at Lausanne, Switzerland.

Consistent Events

Only five events have been contested at every summer Olympics since 1896. They are: athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics and swimming.

~Beezle