Regular exercise is crucial to everyone’s wellbeing, regardless of age. There are many sports to consider, all of which can assist you and your loved ones to stay fit and healthy. Swimming is one of these sports. In this article, we look at the benefits of swimming.
1. Easy on the Joints
One of the main advantages of exercising in water, especially for people with mobility issues, is the buoyancy it provides. This takes pressure off your joints, reducing strain when moving. In fact, water can support up to 90% of body weight. For people with arthritis, for example, this could make swimming the ideal sport to help you start exercising more often.
2. Full Body Workout
Although exercising in water takes strain off your joints, you will still be working all the muscles in your body. Swimming also offers more resistance than exercising on land, which means your muscles will work harder. Thirty minutes of exercise in water is worth forty-five minutes of exercise on land.
This full body workout will help to increase muscle mass. In later life, especially, it is important to strengthen your muscles, as this can help to improve balance. This makes this one of the most important benefits of swimming.
3. Improve Heart and Lung Health
It’s not only your muscles that benefit from swimming. Your heart will too. The intensity of a good swimming session helps to strengthen cardiovascular health, encouraging your heart and lungs to work faster to provide your body with the oxygen it needs. The stronger these organs are, the healthier you will feel even when out of the water.
Swimming is also an exercise that is safe for many people with asthma. As you strengthen your lungs, you expand your lung capacity, making it easier to control your breathing. An indoor pool, especially, could be good for you due to the humid atmosphere. However, as asthma affects everyone different, some pools may make symptoms worse, so you should consult your doctor about any potential swimming risks.
4. Better Sleep
Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve sleep quality in adults. Swimming is just one form of aerobic exercise, but may be better suited for people with physical health problems. Exactly why swimming improves quality of sleep is unclear. However, it seems likely that it is an effective means of burning excess energy in the body, whilst also producing hormones that help the body relax. This is one of the benefits of swimming people with insomnia don’t want to miss out on.
5. Weight Loss
Maintaining a healthy weight is important regardless of age. Exercising regularly is one of the best ways to burn fat and calories, and swimming is a highly effective and enjoyable means of doing so. A half hour swim could burn around 400 calories, depending on the intensity of your exercise. Therefore, taking a regular dip in your local pool could help to ward off those extra pounds and get rid of a few in the process.
Remember, though, that if you are swimming to lose weight, you may notice a slight increase at first. This will be due to the toning of your muscles as a result of your workouts. Don’t be disheartened.
6. Stress Relief
For many people, stress is an unfortunate fact of life. The world is often chaotic, and we are all doing our best to get by. Fortunately, swimming can help to soothe your mood. Regularly spending time in water, even for just a light swim, lowers stress levels and can also reduce anxiety and depression.
One of our favourite benefits of swimming is how it releases endorphins in your brain. These are sometimes known as ‘feel good hormones’. When these hormones are released, they help us to feel happy. Moreover, studies have suggested that swimming regularly could promote the growth of brain cells that manage stress, helping prevent us from being overwhelmed.
A further element of swimming that can contribute to less stress is the colour blue. Blue is considered a calming colour, and when we swim we are often surrounded by it.
7. No Sweat
Though your body may ache a little after a thorough swim, you don’t have to deal with the sweat that accompanies other exercise. Water cools your body as you work out, helping you retain a healthy temperature despite your exertion. This can make it a more pleasant form of exercise to engage in, as you won’t have to face the discomfort of sweat and heat afterwards.
8. Socialising
A good swim doesn’t have to be a solo affair. It can be a great way to meet new people or spend time with old friends. Swimming is a popular pastime for people of all ages and backgrounds. For grandparents, it could also be a great way to catch up with the grandkids.
Cold Water Swimming
In recent years, cold water swimming has become a popular form of exercise for people across the UK. It may seem strange to willingly swim in cold water, but it has several advantages beyond the benefits of swimming in a heated pool.
For starters, you will burn more calories swimming in cold water. This is because your body is using energy to raise your body temperature as well as to move. You will also find that cold water swimming improves circulation and strengthens your immune system.
In most cases, cold water swimming is done in groups. There are sessions that you can sign up for all over the country. As well as ensuring you are in safe hands during the activity, it can also introduce you to new people. If you decide to take up cold water swimming, be sure to do so safely. You can find guides to safe cold water and outdoor swimming at the Outdoor Swimming Society,
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