Health benefits of swimming

Swimming is a great way to exercise and be physically active and it has numerous health benefits, everybody can participate in it, and it can be fun and relaxing.

In recent years swimming has become a practical, non pharmaceutical, way of treating different diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and obesity. As an exercise it has a positive effect on the endurance of joints, it improves physical strength and helps reduce body fat. It also helps regulate lipids in the bloodstream which cause cardiovascular problems.

Swimming strengthens muscles:

The resistance that water provides helps strengthen and tone muscles, because water provides more resistance than air, swimming is more effective in this regard than running or bicycling. Swimming also promotes bone strength, which can significantly help women in menopause to prevent osteoporosis.

Swimming affects the entire body:

Swimming is an exercise performed in water, because of this it doesn’t put pressure on the skeletal structure and is a perfect way for people who have joint problems or a higher body weight to exercise with less difficulty. It can be a great exercise choice for someone who has an injury which makes other forms of exercise difficult. Swimming increases heart rate, strengthens and tones muscles and increases endurance without too much stress on the body.

Different swimming styles like breaststroke, front crawl, backstroke, dolphin, butterfly and freestyle all focus on different muscle groups. Still, all of these styles use most muscles, so they positively affect the entire body.

Swimming improves the cardiovascular system:

By swimming the heart will pump blood more efficiently and this will lead to better blood flow through the body. Aerobic exercises like swimming generally have a positive effect on inflammations in the body that lead to heart disease. Swimming regulates lipides in the blood which cause cardiovascular problems, it also regulates blood pressure problems.

Swimming regulates body weight:

Swimming helps burn calories, the exact number of calories burned depends on the physiognomy and swimming style. A good piece of advice is to create intervals of high intensity swimming which gradually become longer with intervals of short rest in between.

Swimming strengthens the lungs:

Swimming promotes better breathing, as well as lung strength and capacity. It can have significant benefits in treating asthma because it leads the body to use oxygen more efficiently.

Still, some research suggests that long-term exposure to the chemicals used to disinfect swimming pools can have negative effects on asthma. If you have asthma and wish to begin swimming you should firstly consult with your doctor to make sure this choice is safe for you.

Swimming improves mood:

Swimming, like other forms of exercise promotes the synthesis of endorphins (“the happy hormone”) and in doing so improves mood. Swimming is relaxing for the mind, the muscles stretch, breathing is rhythmical and in sync, this helps reduce stress. Researchers suggest that swimming is a good way to reduce stress levels in everyday life and that it has a positive impact on our mental health.

*This text is intended for informational purposes only. If you experience any symptoms, it is recommended that you seek advice from your doctor or a qualified healthcare professional.*

*Image taken from the site: https://unsplash.com/photos/person-swimming-on-an-olympic-pool-ZbbhkQ0M2AM*

Lee, B., & Oh, D. (2015). Effect of regular swimming exercise on the physical composition, strength, and blood lipid of middle-aged women. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 11(5), 266–271. https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.150242

Omar, J. S., Jaradat, N., Qadoumi, M., & Qadoumi, A. N. (2021). Regular swimming exercise improves metabolic syndrome risk factors: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Sports Science Medicine and Rehabilitation, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00254-8