Simple lengths to get fit - Swimming can give the whole body a workout and is good for any age group

Swimming is one of the UK's most popular forms of exercise and is certainly among the most effective. One of the great advantages of such exercise is that it is suitable for any age or fitness range and crucially is a lot of fun.

Ideally we should be aiming to do around 30 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week. Unfortunately with people leading busy lives it is not always possible or practical to make time for recommended exercise levels. This is why swimming can be so effective. Doing two sessions of about 45 minutes a week is equivalent to about double the time you would spend exercising out of water. The health benefits are also profound. As your body is being worked a bit harder against the resistance provided by the water, swimming can help achieve a more toned figure overall rather than overloading one particular muscle group.

If you suffer from health conditions such as asthma, swimming is an excellent method of increasing lung capacity and the joy of it is you can go at your own pace. Due to the buoyancy of water, swimming is possible for individuals with disabilities as well and is especially helpful for the older generation.

So, if time is limited or you do not think you want to exercise daily, why not try out one of your local pools once or twice a week and maximise the effects of what exercise you do and have fun at the same time.