Swimming and Water-Based Exercise for Adults: Effect on Body Weight, Body Fat and Lean Body Mass

Abstract

Sedentary life is a part of everyday life for most people. People are getting more inactive and, as a result many health problems occur, such as overweight and obesity. Adults need physical activity in order to lose and maintain weight. Swimming or other water-based exercises are the most popular physical activities that offer physical and mental health. Many researchers have investigated the fact that swimming is able to affect body weight, body fat and lean body mass. Important parameters in these investigations are duration, frequency and intensity of the swimming program, as well as water temperature and dietary restriction. A swimming program that is able to take into account all of these parameters, including dietary restriction is able to lead to weight loss by increasing body mass and decreasing body fat as well as adopting a completely different lifestyle.