Weight loss and swimming do not closely link together in people's minds. Swimming is good for total-body toning and cardiovascular exercise, though it does not build lean muscle mass, as it is a non-weight-bearing exercise. Although swimming might not increase metabolism like weigh lifting, it does burn calories.

Swimming provides a combination of an aerobic workout with strength building in your arms, core and legs. Since you're in water, you are buoyant, which removes any shock to your joints.

The shallow end of a swimming pool is a good place to learn to swim by yourself. Swimming involves breathing, kicking with your legs and stroking with your arms. These are things you can practice one at a time in shallow water. Possibly the simplest stroke for a beginner is the forward crawl.

Even if you have perfect vision on land, don't be surprised if you experience blurry vision underwater without the use of goggles. Goggles provide a protective shell around the lens of your eye, enabling you to see crisply and clearly while swimming.

The front crawl is a classic swimming stroke and is usually one of the first learned when you take swimming lessons. The front crawl is also known as freestyle swimming, and is the fastest of all the swimming strokes, according to the Swim City website.

There's nothing quite as rewarding as seeing someone swim for the first time, knowing you provided him with a lifelong skill that could save his life. Knowing how to teach a beginner-level child or adult to swim depends greatly on the age of the individual and the person's comfort-level with the water.

The front flip is a beginner-level dive that helps you build a foundation for more advanced skills. Eventually, a proficient front flip or tuck can allow you to progress to dives such as the front one-and-a-half somersault pike and the front flip with two twists.

Otitis externa, or swimmer's ear, is an ear infection that affects the external ear and outer ear canal. Symptoms of swimmer's ear can include inflammation of the ear, itchiness inside the ear, pain when the ear is pulled or when the head is tilted, and infection leaking from the ear.

Ringworm infections are not caused by worms but rather by fungi collectively called dermatophytes. These fungi are commonly associated with hair, skin and nail infections. Dermatophytes gravitate to moist parts of the skin, such as folds or creases, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It is common for water to become trapped inside the ear canal after swimming. Removing the water is important since moisture left inside the ear canal can cause ear infections or "swimmer's ear." Removing water from ears after swimming is a simple process, but must be done immediately after getting out of the water.

Swimming provides both youth and adults with a means for physical activity and recreation throughout life.

When considering whether you would like to install a pool or purchase a home with a pool or a membership to a community pool, consider the benefits of swimming pools. Although you might not be an exceptional swimmer, you can still enjoy a swimming pool.