Health: The benefits of swimming

Are you wondering what are the health benefits of swimming? Health: The benefits of swimming

As you may know, swimming has a reputation that it is one of the best sports to maintain a healthy body.

Health: The benefits of swimming

Exercises the whole body

The first benefit of swimming is that it is a full body workout. Indeed, swimming requires you to engage all your limbs. Consequently, all the muscles in your body are mobilized during a typical swimming exercise.

This effect can even be improved by alternating the swimming styles used during a workout, because each of them allows you to move your limbs in a different way. And because swimming moves your limbs through a wide range of motion, it helps you gain flexibility.

Cardiovascular exercise

The health benefits of swimming don't stop there. Swimming is an endurance sport, and as such is excellent cardiovascular exercise. Swimming lowers your blood pressure, strengthens your heart and improves your aerobic capacity.

Low impact exercise

When you swim, your body is supported by the water. Water is much denser than air, and this limits the speed at which you can move in water. These factors make swimming one of the best exercises with the lowest negative impact that one can do even when other forms of exercise are not possible:

• It can be performed safely by the elderly.
• Swimming can be done during pregnancy.
• It can be performed as an alternative exercise for injured athletes.
• It can be done by overweight people.
• As water resistance increases with speed, any swimmer can easily exercise at any intensity they desire.

Alternative solution for training on land

Swimming is also a great alternative to land exercises. For example, one might exercise in the summer when it is too hot outside to exercise in any other way. It can also be a welcome alternative for those who get bored easily or for injured runners.

Weight loss and weight control

There are other health benefits of swimming. As an endurance sport, swimming allows you to lose or control your weight. It burns about three calories per mile per pound of body weight. To be useful for weight control, you should swim at least two or three times a week for at least half an hour.

However, make sure you swim in the pool all the time. Stopping every five minutes to chat with others will make the swim less productive. 

If you are overweight, swimming is the best way to lose weight, as you will be able to work safely without putting too much stress on your joints.

Relief of physical pain

Swimming is also an excellent sport for relieving certain types of pain: 

• Swimming is often prescribed to patients experiencing lower back or back problems. The backstroke is a great exercise to relax and strengthen your back.
• It can also greatly help people suffering from arthritis due to the support and soft resistance of the water.

Swimming injuries

The health benefits of swimming are many. However, as a sport, it can cause injuries, although much milder and few in comparison to other sports. Try to be aware of this aspect of the sport as well.