Ahh, New Year, new me. You know what that means?
It means we’re going to Whole Foods. We’re going to pick out some pretentious organic vegetables we’ve never even heard of and then hit the ice cream aisle because we’re still human (we’ll just get frozen yogurt instead).
In addition to our revitalized 2017 menu, chock full of recipes from Pinterest, we take on the gym. Eating right is great and all but wouldn’t you prefer a six-pack to accompany that broccoli?
My recommendation? The pool. In January? Yes. Hear me out.
With the New Year comes a lot of gym-goers which means a packed gym. Many of the workout machines seem to have a waitlist of like 25 years right now. So instead of sneakers, arm yourself with a bathing suit, goggles, and some coconut oil to protect your hair from the chlorine (you’re welcome, ladies).
Here’s why you should ignore the temperatures and add swimming to your January workout schedule:
1. Cardio Partnered with Resistance Training (hello, six-pack):
You can pretend to be Michael Phelps for an hour a day, and your waistline will thank you later. I’m sure you’ve heard the now retired Olympic athlete would consumer upwards of 10, 000 calories a day to maintain his body mass during his eight hour training sessions.
While 10,000 calories actually sounds like a nightmare to me, which just goes to show how much your body is torching those few extra pounds! In fact, for an hour of moderate effort laps, an average 150 lb adult can torch up to 400 calories…which also means your body continuously torches long after you hung your suit up for the day.
2. Your Heart and Longevity:
Now you’re probably wondering how Mr. Phelps consumed five-egg omelets without packing his arteries like “Resolutioners” are packing your gym. Not with swimming. Swimming, an aerobic exercise, is your cardiovascular system’s best friend. Working your heart muscle with this low impact exercise can help with weight loss, lower your blood pressure, bad cholesterol, and triglycerides. Guess what? A stronger heart means a longer life and a longer life means more enjoying your life (which means taste-testing more frozen-yogurt flavors). Your family practice doctor will be impressed at the results!
If you forgo the gym but have a heated pool yourself, don’t shy away from its infinite benefits in the cooler months. I’m sure you can spare an hour to be “the greatest of all time”…or at least your version of what the earner of 28 Olympic medals looks like.
Just keep in mind your pool maintenance and keep an eye out for any leaks. We have you and your New Year’s ResolPOOLtions covered. We are the Orlando pool leak detection experts.