Philip Michael

Swimming Styles for Muscle Toning

A pharmacist in Charleston, West Virginia, Philip E. Michael has gained over 25 years of professional experience in the pharmaceutical industry. His commitment to defining community needs has seen him speak to children in schools and render special assistance to elderly citizens in his town. Philip Michael is a pharmacist who balances his career with family life and his athletic interest in swimming.

Swimming is an excellent activity as a recreation as well as for weight loss. Swimming also helps tone muscles. Some of the best strokes for muscle toning are butterfly, freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. The butterfly stroke is the most effective for muscle toning and building. It burns an average of 450 calories in half an hour of swimming and helps increase flexibility. It is hard to learn and not advisable for beginners.

Freestyle swimming tones the shoulders, stomach, and buttocks. With an average calorie burn of about 300 calories in half an hour of swimming, it has a significant impact on toning the muscles of the back. Likewise, backstroke is among the best swimming strokes for improving posture. It has an average calorie burn of about 250 calories in half an hour of swimming. Backstroke styles also tone the arms, legs, buttocks, stomach, and shoulder.

Breaststroke burns an average of 200 calories in half an hour of swimming. It is a cardiovascular exercise and tones the upper back, lower legs, thighs, and triceps.

The Extensive Health Benefits of Swimming

A member of the American Pharmaceutical Association, Philip E. Michael is an experienced Charleston, West Virginia pharmacist who is also certified in immunization. Outside of his work as a pharmacist, Philip Michael enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle by playing basketball and swimming.

Swimming is a highly effective, low-impact cardiovascular exercise that also helps improve strength and flexibility. It is a calorie-burning activity that is suitable for all ages and can be particularly effective in helping individuals rehabilitate a variety of injuries. Swimming freestyle for 10 minutes, for instance, can burn upwards of 100 calories. To burn the same amount of calories in 10 minutes of running, one would need to run for one mile.

Whereas running extended periods often requires a day of rest and recovery, swimming is viewed as an ideal recovery exercise. One study published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine found that swimming is even more effective than rest as a form of exercise recovery.

Beyond its cardiovascular and recovery benefits, swimming can reduce inflammation and stress and improve cholesterol levels, muscle mass, and cognitive functions. Other studies have linked the activity to longevity. A team of University of South Carolina researchers, for instance, analyzed more than 40,000 men between the ages of 20 and 90 for 32 years and concluded that those who swam regularly had a significantly lower death rate than men who either ran or didn’t exercise.

Vaccination for Influenza

A recipient of a CPR certification, Philip Michael worked as a pharmacist at Aracoma Drug Company. A Charleston, West Virginia pharmacist, Philip E. Michael has processed various drug prescriptions with 100 percent accuracy and has administered vaccines for various infections, including influenza.

A highly contagious viral infection, influenza attacks the respiratory system. Some of the symptoms of influenza include headache, nasal congestion, fever, sore throat, and aching muscles. For most people, the immune system is capable of dealing with and fighting the infection. However, most adults above 65, young children under 5, pregnant women, immunocompromised people, and people who are very obese may have problems recovering if infected, which can result in complications. Complications of influenza, such as bronchitis, pneumonia, ear infection, asthma, and heart problems, can be deadly.

There are vaccines available for influenza. However, these vaccines are not 100 percent protective because the virus occurs in strains (mutated versions of the previous virus). Some newer strains are immune to old vaccines, and can only die if their host (infected person) has already received a vaccine or developed antibodies that target their characteristics. For this reason, a susceptible person must get vaccinated against flu each season to ensure that they are protected against newer strains.

Two Common Competitive Swimming Strokes

An accomplished pharmacist with more than two decades of experience in the industry, Philip E. Michael works throughout the West Virginia area, including in and around the city of Charleston. A graduate of West Virginia University, Philip Michael is still an active follower of WVU sports, and personally enjoys participating in sports such as basketball and swimming.

In competitive swimming, there are generally four main strokes that are commonly used. Here is a brief introduction to two of these strokes and how they are performed.

1. The breaststroke is probably the most popular swimming stroke amongst the general public. It’s the one you most commonly see when people are casually swimming in the pool. To swim the breaststroke, start in a horizontal prone position in the water. Your legs perform a “whip” kick (or “frog” kick), and your arms move in a triangular, arcing pattern symmetrically, sweeping forward, outward, and then pulling in to your chest. To breathe during this stroke, your head and chest move above the water as your hands pull in towards your chest, allowing you to take a breath with each stroke if necessary.

When working with beginners, this is the most commonly taught stroke, because it is actually possible to perform the stroke while keeping your head above water (although this is not technically correct). Beginners can swim the breaststroke without goggles and without worrying about breathing issues. It is also the slowest competitive swimming stroke commonly used.

2. The butterfly stroke is one of the most fascinating swimming strokes to watch, and is also the most difficult to execute. Most experts recommend that you master the other three common strokes (breaststroke, backstroke, and front crawl or freestyle) before attempting the butterfly. Performing the butterfly involves an undulating motion through your whole body where your chest and hips bob up and down continuously. Your feet perform a “dolphin” kick, similar to what a mermaid tail might look like, and your hands move in an hourglass pattern beneath the water, starting near your head and exiting the water at the hips.

Most casual swimmers prefer an easier stroke, like the breaststroke or front crawl, but if you can learn to master it, this stroke is quite the calorie burner. Swimmers can burn nearly 900 calories an hour swimming the butterfly stroke, and it is fun to perform once you’ve mastered the unusual movement.

Breathing Correctly When Swimming

A pharmacist in Charleston, West Virginia, Philip E. Michael, has been working in the pharmacy industry for more than 25 years. During that time, he has gained experience in everything from filling prescriptions to managing pharmacy operations. In his free time, pharmacist Philip E. Michael enjoys swimming.

Although it may seem simple, breathing when swimming is often very challenging for beginners to master. When they first start swimming, many individuals want to hold their breath until they absolutely need air. Then, they keep their heads above water to exhale and inhale the air they need. However, having the head up and out of the water drops the legs and hips, impeding swimmers’ forward motion and increasing their drag.

Instead of waiting until the last second and lifting the head up to exhale and inhale, swimmers should focus on establishing a good breathing rhythm that enables them to exhale through their nose and mouth as soon as they take a breath. Since swimmers are exhaling underwater, their lungs are free to take in more air when they do occasionally take a breath. This keeps swimmers from leaving their heads out of the water for too long, and enables them to take deeper breaths.

In addition to this, swimmers should aim to take a breath every three strokes. Three-stroke (or bilateral) breathing means swimmers take breaths on both sides of their body, thus keeping their stroke even and improving their swimming mechanics. Those who need to can also take a breath every two strokes, but taking breaths from only one side creates imbalance.

Tips for Traveling with Children

A West Virginia-based pharmacist, Philip Michael has worked for over 25 years throughout the state, including in Alum Creek and Charleston. When not occupied with his duties as a pharmacist, he enjoys outdoor activities and sports such as basketball. Philip E. Michael also likes to travel with his wife and children.

An exciting activity for people all ages, traveling is especially enticing for children, allowing them to have experiences and discoveries in the most inquisitive period of their lives.

Although many parents have worries about traveling with small children, there are a few tips that can help them manage their concerns. If traveling to a beach destination, for example, make sure there is also a pool for the children where you’ll be staying. Pools are safer than the sea, and the children will still be able to experience the ocean from a distance.

Another tip for parents who are afraid of losing their children is to “brand” them by writing the parent’s names and phone numbers on the children’s arms. This information allows the parents to be contacted easily if the children should become lost.

Bringing a first aid kit is another tip for traveling with children. Children can get sick very easily, especially when in places that may lower their immunity – traveling to regions with unusual weather, for example, can have this effect.

About Philip Michael

Philip Michael has over two decades of experience and has worked as an independent pharmacist since 2012. A former pharmacist at the Aracoma Drug Company, he is the owner of the Mt. Morris Pharmacy which opened its doors in September of 2004. Philip Michael started his career as a pharmacist with the Rite Aid Corporation, consistently ranked in the top 100 corporations in the United States, in the early 1990s as a pharmacy intern. Through his skill and leadership, he advanced in the organization to the position of the pharmacy district manager. In his managerial position, he was responsible for HR duties across 30 pharmacies and controlled a multi-million dollar budget of pharmacy inventory.

A West Virginia University graduate, Philip Michael received a BA in Biology from WVU and was a member of the Mountaineer Marching Band for Four years. He continues to be an avid fan of WVU sports. A member of the American Pharmaceutical Association, he enjoys traveling with his family and leads an active lifestyle.