As the London Olympics 2012 kicks off, millions of Brits will be sat on their sofas and glued to their TVs as they enjoy three weeks of fabulous sporting events. But after three weeks of being as active as a couch potato, it’s hoped that many of us will be inspired to follow in the footsteps of our top athletes.
Indeed, part of the London 2012 “lasting global sporting legacy” is to encourage more people to take up a new sport. It seems that swimming could be a favourite. A recent London Sport Global Inspiration Survey found that a quarter of Olympics fans plan to try swimming this year, and the chances are that after watching the likes of Rebecca Adlington, Scot Hannah Miley, Ross Davenport and Dave Davies, even more Brits will be heading to their local pool.
Just one look at the sleek and toned bodies of these swimmers should be enough to have you looking our your swimming costumes and goggles!
Did you know?: A total of 950 competitors will take part in 34 events in the Olympics Swimming competition.
The benefits of swimming
While no-one is saying you have to put in the 40 hours a week of training of our top swimmers, a few hours in the pool each week will make a huge difference to your fitness levels.
Sharon MacDonald, of Scottish Swimming, says: “Swimming is a fantastic way to keep physically active. It provides a great all-round workout burning fat, strengthening your heart and lungs and toning.
“Because the water takes your weight, swimming is ideal for people looking for low-impact exercise, such as those recovering from an injury or for people new to exercise.”
Swimming is a great sport for all ages – and research shows that swimming slows down the aging process in areas such as respiration, muscle mass, cardiovascular activity and brain function.
How to get into swimming
If you are a new-comer to swimming, you’ll find information about beginner lessons for adults and children at British Swimming and Scottish Swimming
The next step for kids could be to join British or Scottish Swimming affiliated club. With drive and dedication you could become a competitive swimmer with aspirations of following in the wake of Rebecca or Hannah.
A SwimFit initiative in Scotland offers free online coaching for a range of swimming abilities, and includes gym-style workouts and distance challenges.
Britain as a whole can check out the Big Splash for alternative swimming routines.
And for adults, there’s the fast growing Masters programme. This is swim training and competitive swimming for swimmers over the age of 19. Masters can be done at any level, from a quick dip to evening social sessions to competitions at European and World age-group level.
Open water swimming is also increasingly popular – and you’ll see open water events in the Olympics. This combines the benefits of swimming with the enjoyment of being outdoors. There are a growing number of open water clubs in Britain or you could take the plunge and join one of the Great Swim events.