Dive Into Good Health

Summer may be quickly turning to fall, but at The Oaks at Denville, that doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite aquatic activities. Our indoor, heated pool is available for year-round use, meaning you’re able to experience the health benefits of swimming at any time you wish. Keep reading to learn more about these health benefits and some simple pool exercises for you to try out the next time you dive in.

Benefits of Swimming

There are many benefits of incorporating swimming into your physical activity routine.

As a low-impact exercise, swimming is a great way to move your body without risking stress on your back, hips and knees. Yet, as a full-body workout, nearly all of your muscles are impacted.

Since the resistance of the water intensifies the impact and effectiveness of your workout, you’re able to more quickly build endurance and muscle strength, as well as shed excess weight.

One muscle group impacted is your respiratory muscles. While most exercising leads to breathing in shallow and exhaling forcefully, swimming encourages you to breath in deeply and quickly, which improves the strength of your lungs.

Aerobic exercise also makes your heart beat faster than usual and increases cardiac muscle use, thus improving your heart function and blood flow and decreasing your risk of developing heart disease.

And, besides being great exercise, swimming is fun with friends. Whether it be taking a class together or having a partner to workout with, you’re able to become closer to neighbors simply by taking a dip in the pool.

Senior Swimming Workouts

At The Oaks at Denville, you can start your week right with the Monday morning Make a Splash with Elizabeth class in the pool. Along with these structured classes, there are plenty of exercises you can do to work out while in the pool. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Standing Water Push-Ups: Stand along the side of the pool and place your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart on the edge of the pool; bend your arms and lean in towards the wall, then push back out.
• Arm Circles: Lift your arms out to the side, keeping your arms straight and your palms down, and move your arms in a circular motion one way for 10-15 seconds. Rest, and then move your arms in the opposite direction.
• Leg Lifts: For this exercise, stand in the pool and lift one leg out to the side and back down, alternating legs.
• Leg Swings: Stand in the pool and lift one leg forward and back down, then backward and back down, alternating legs.
• Pool Jogging: An effective pool exercise can be as simple as jogging through the water from one side of the pool to the other.

Swim All Year at The Oaks at Denville

Swimming is undoubtedly one of the best exercises for older adults, and at The Oaks at Denville, you have the convenience of an onsite, heated, indoor swimming pool to enhance your physical health. Contact us today to learn more and schedule your personal tour.