“Water polo is a team water sport,” said Doctor Mkhabe.
“The game consists of four quarters (or periods) in which the two teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into their opposition’s goal, with the team that scores the most goals winning the game,” said Doctor Mkhabe qualified swimming instructor, lifeguard and head coach of the Soweto Water Polo team.
Mkhabe said the team consists of 37 members (boys and girls) from various areas in Soweto.
“The team is competing in a water polo domestic league, which is run by Central Gauteng Water Polo that is also sponsoring our capitation and transport to the games. We are currently in the sixth league, which proves that aquatics are not a white man sport,” said Mkhabe.
Benefits of swimming
Mkhabe said: “This will mean a great deal more to you if you swim competitively, either as a short course athlete in the pool or in open water as a long distance swimmer. Due to the fact that you hold your breath between strokes your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient.”
He said swimming is a great activity.
“It lengthens your muscles and builds lung capacity. You are in a different position in the pool, and you use all your stabilisers. It’s a great full-body workout,” said Mkhabe.
He said it helps to improve the efficiency with which your body transports and utilises oxygen, and because it works the entire body it also means that your heart has to pump blood all over.
“This improves heart health and efficiency,” said Mkhabe.
Swimming has the power to bust calories-many of them at each session, depending on how you train because swimming uses all the major muscle groups in your body at once.
For instance freestyle interval session can burn up to 100 calories every ten minutes, but with butterfly (the most technical stroke) burns up to 150 calories in the same time frame.
“This is a non-impact form of exercise. In other words, unlike running or other land based sports, you are not putting repetitive strain on your joints and tendons,” said Mkhabe.
Mkhabe said swimming is often suggested as exercise for those training with an injury or recovering from an injury.
