You may have asked yourself is swimming a good workout, and the answer would be YES! Swimming is the perfect exercise. It is suitable for all ages and provides you with all the benefits of an aerobic workout without the consequences and damaging impact on your joints, and an hour of swimming would basically burn as many calories as you would burn with running. Keep reading to find out why swimming is good for you.
Full Body Workout
Swimmers use all their muscles while swimming, plus doing exercises in the water forces your body to work harder, so 30 minutes in the water is worth 45 minutes of exercising on land. Basically, it works your whole body. However, every different swimming workout focuses on a different muscle group. So, if you decide, for example, to do the breaststroke, you will only experience the health benefits of swimming breaststroke.
General Wellbeing
Many people wonder “is swimming good exercise for managing weight” and the answer to this would also be yes. Just 30 minutes of swimming can burn over 200 calories, so swimming three times a week, alongside a healthy lifestyle and diet, will help you with your weight loss process.
Works on your insides
Besides the workout and benefits that your muscles are getting, there are many health benefits of swimming for seniors and people with cardiovascular problems. Because swimming makes your heart and lungs stronger. Some researchers show that it may even help control blood sugar, lower blood pressure, and even reduce the risk of death.
Helps with Asthma
Indoor pools are a great activity for people with asthma. Most of all, because you don’t breathe dry air and it allows you to breathe moist air during your training, but also because swimming requires breathing exercises like holding your breath.
It supports your body
Water supports up to 90% of your body’s weight. So, by that, it can be beneficial for reducing pain or even help you recover from an injury. Although besides injuries, it can also help people suffering from disabilities, arthritis, and any other issues that make exercising difficult. It is also important that people with those problems wear swim goggles and snorkels that will work for them to get an extra protection.
Exercising without sweat
If you hate sweating during exercise, do not worry. Another benefit of swimming is that there is no sweat involved. You can work as hard as you want, but the water around you will constantly cool you down.
It is Safe
Swimming is a safe activity for everyone, but especially for kids. First, of course, with the proper warm-up. Kids need at least an hour of physical activity every day, but that does not have to be a formal workout always. They will enjoy the health benefits of swimming laps around the pool and at the same time have fun. Also, it is a safe alternative during pregnancy. It lowers the risks of congenital defects and preterm labor but also has potential benefits for the baby.
Reduces stress and Improves Mood
There are many mental health benefits of swimming. It reduces stress and prevents depression and anxiety. It relaxes you similarly to yoga. Swimming is also meditative and calming, and with that, your body reduces endorphins that will instantly improve your mood.
Conclusion
Now that you know what the health benefits of swimming are, we need to mention that besides the benefits, swimming also comes with some risks. So, if you have some kind of medical condition or injury, you need to consult your doctor before starting. Also, if you are a beginner, you should consider taking swimming classes, because some swimming types are considered to be used in competitive swimming, such as the butterfly, and yes, there are health benefits of competitive swimming, but they should not be experienced by beginners. Because it can cause overuse of the shoulder joint and cause complications such as the condition known as swimmer’s shoulder. And most importantly, you need to stay safe, swim in areas that are supervised by lifeguards, wear sunscreen when swimming outdoors, and don’t forget to drink water even if you don’t feel thirsty.