The Life Aquatic

by Ashley V. Neglia   
Posted April 7, 2008

Swimming is an aerobic exercise that builds muscle and endurance and helps melt off inches without subjecting joints to the pavement-pounding stresses of running. “Swimming targets nearly 98 percent of the muscles in the body,” says Tim Dry, branch director for Bridgewater Family YMCA. Start slowly with sessions of five to ten minutes twice a week and build toward swims of twenty minutes three times a week.