Different Strokes at 15:57

Growing up in Texas, I swam every  single day.  It was the best way to beat the heat and humidity- plus, everyone has a pool and lakes are everywhere. Swimming was completely recreational for me, so I forget some people use it to exercise and compete.  In fact, swimming is proven to be one of the best forms of exercise- especially for those with injuries and other health issues.

Swimming is a full body exercise- strengthening and stretching every muscle in your body.  The activity focuses on your back and core muscles, helping improve your posture- preventing long term consequences. It does this in a low impact environment, using natural resistance to build muscle.  Low impact means you save your joints, ligaments, tendons, and bones large amounts of stress, decreasing your chance of injury (see my post on stress fractures).  Since humans are naturally buoyant, the body weighs 1/10th of its actual weight when in the water. This allows people of all ages and sizes to be able to work out.  Studies have shown for senior citizens and obese individuals, swimming also increases the moral while working out since they are not as limited in the water as they are on land.

According to Science Daily, water exercises also improve the inner workings. They help strengthen the cardiovascular system; extreme asthma; snoring; and mouth breathing.  Most of these cases are induced by the way the body uses oxygen and the heat and humidity of the pool (mainly for asthma).  Because of the strict breathing regiment swimming enforces, it makes the body concentrate on the amount of air taken in, how that air (mainly oxygen) is used, and when to breath it out.  This concentration relaxes the body, alleviating stress on the heart and maximizes the use of the intake of oxygen.

So whether you take a dip for fun or for exercise- remember that you are doing your body a huge favor.  If you want to learn better techniques of swimming there are websites that teach you proper techniques  or even swimming workouts. Even if you don't like "just swimming", there are alternatives: water aerobics, water polo, or even just a fun game of Marco Polo with friends. Just remember water isn't too bad!

The "Fairness" of Sports at 16:11

Please Note: Because such a variety of sports exists, majority of the human population have some connection to at least one sport.  Even though I have my own ideas on what is considered a sport, I will try to be fair and  include all levels of physical activities.  In other words: golf, cheerleading, dancing and running won't be excluded from this blog.

As time progresses, so do sports.  The idea of competing in an athletic event started in the 6th century BC with the Greek Olympic Games.  From there, society has developed numerous games; however, these games continue to evolve.  New rules and regulations are appended and some are deleted every year across the board, especially as technology advances.  These rules change the sport drastically by disrupting the dynamics of the game.  The best example I can give is basketball.  The first basketball was actually a soccer ball.  Anyone who has played with a basketball and a soccer ball knows there is a noticeable difference between the physics of the balls due to variance of  sizes, weights, and compositions.

The basketball's design has improved over the years to incorporate more friction for a better grip, a more elastic bounce to aid dribbling, and improved seams for over all effectiveness. These modifications developed with the increase of knowledge and the improvement in technology. The players today have developed new styles of basketball that include fancier dribbling and more elaborate dunks.  These new aspects of the game have been, with no doubt, encouraged by the advances of the ball.

The evolution of the ball might not have changed the game as drastically for the observers; however, it changed the performance level of the players.   Today, there is a great debate in the swimming world.  A new swim suit, known as the LZR, uses NASA's technology to minimize drag in the water.
The swimsuit was debuted in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games; however recently there have been allegations that the suit "swims itself." 
Majority of the records broken in the pool are done so with a swimmer that dawns the LZR.  A new regulation for the Olympic games bans non-textile suits as well as minimizes that amount of coverage the suit supplies.  Even though FINA's ban includes the LZR, other swim competitions still allow the super suit.  The question that arises is: "Is it fair for competitive swimmers to be able to use this new swimsuit?".



Swimsuits, just like basketballs, have evolved over the years.   In 1912, swimsuits worn were cotton, Spedo style garments.  It wasn't until recently when swim suits changed from cloth to polyurethane, rubber and other less resistive material. Once again, an increase of knowledge and the improvement in technology allowed swimming to advance.

Is there any difference in the improvement of the basketball and the swimsuit? Both modified the sport, in order for the participant to excel to a new level. With banning the LZR, is FINA forbidding science to help improve sports?

In basketball, there are regulation sizes and weights  for men's and women's balls. These regulations do not specify a certain material or inflation, nor do they enforce a certain brand or style.  Bottom line: not every team plays/practices with the same type of ball. However, they have the same opportunity to buy the best ball available, and the same resources to keep the basketball in the perfect condition. The best ball can give the player better control of their dribble, a better feel for the ball on the shot, and a better, perhaps stronger pass; but to be the best, the player has to practice their dribbling, shooting, and passing. The best ball does  not create the best player.

In the swimming world, many different types of suits exists. There may be restrictions on swim aids such as hand and feet slippers; however swimsuits should be the swimmers' choice.  The swimmers have the same chance to buy the best swimsuit.  The best swimsuit might help reduce drag, but the best swimsuit does not make the best swimmer.  Swimmers, just like any other athlete, must practice and train to compete.

In my opinion, the LZR may give a swimmer a slight advantage, but that is the nature of sports.  An athlete or team, for some reason, is pushed to the next level, and it's the competition's responsibility to step up.  This is the sole reason sports always evolve.  It is the same concept with a new set of golf clubs, an improvement in baseball bats, a better brand of basketballs, and more flexible running shoes.  These slight advantages change the sport minutely; it is the athlete's job to embrace the change and arise to the next level.