Surprising Health Benefits of Swimming

You must have heard that professionals suggest adult should have at least 150 minutes of mild activity or 75 minutes of rigorous activity per week. Well, swimming is an amazing way to make your complete body and cardio system work. Swimming for an hour helps in burning your calories just like running, without causing any impact on your joints and bones. There are huge benefits you may gain from swimming laps. Go ahead to find out the surprising health benefits of swimming:

1. Puts your whole body to work

One of the major advantages of swimming is that it puts your complete body to work. It

• Enhances your heart without putting stress on your body.
• Tones your muscles
• Adds strength to your body
• Creates endurance

There are several strokes which work on different part of your body. Each of them focus on particular muscle group and the water offers a mild resistance. No matter what stroke you opt for you, you are using almost a major part of your muscle groups to swim through the water.

2. It is beneficial for your insides also

While it is a great muscular workout, it does equally good to your cardiovascular system. Swimming makes your lungs and heart stronger. It is good for everyone as it lowers the risk of death. In comparison to inactive people, swimmers have half the chance of death. It also helps in controlling blood sugar and lowering blood pressure.

3. Is amazing for people with arthritis and injuries

Swimming is a great exercise for those suffering from arthritis, injuries, any kind of disability etc. It helps in reducing pain from an injury. As per a study, people with osteoarthritis showed great reduction in their joint pain after engaging in swimming.

4. A great option for those suffering from asthma

The humid environment of the pool makes swimming a perfect exercise for people with asthma. The breathing exercise linked with swimming such as holding your breath helps you enhance your lungs capacity and acquire control on your breathing. However, some studies suggest that it may add to your asthma, so it is better to choose a pool which has salt water rather than chlorine.

5. Recommended for people with MS

If you are suffering from multiple sclerosis, then swimming is highly recommended for you. Water helps in making your limbs buoyant and renders support during movement. A 2-month swimming activity resulted in major reduction in pain for people suffering from multiple sclerosis. It also showed results for symptoms like depression and fatigue.

6. Burns calories

Swimming is an efficient way to burn your calories. A person weighing 160 pounds can burn 423 calories every low even by swimming at a low pace. And, the same person can burn 715 calories by swimming a fast pace. Hence, in comparison to other activities, swimming is an amazing activity to burn those extra calories. Yoga helps you burn 183 calories per hour.

7. Blesses your sleep

Swimming gives power to help you sleep peacefully at night. Adults dealing with insomnia reported a boost in their sleep cycle and life quality after engaging in swimming. Swimming is accessible to everyone who is suffering from physical issues and cannot do exercise like running. For older adults suffering from insomnia is a blessing as regular sleeping improves sleep.

8. Clicks your mood

People suffering from dementia saw an improvement in their mood after actively swimming for 2-3 months. Swimming and water exercises aren’t just psychologically good for people, but they also help on boosting mood of normal people.

9. Helps in managing stress

As per a survey, people suffer a lot of stress in their fast paced life. But, after swimming people have reported to feel less stressed. More researches suggest that swimming is a strong way to get rid of depression and stress.

10. Even recommended during pregnancy

Even pregnant woman can reap the benefits of swimming. Swimming in pregnancy is beneficial for both the mother and the child. Apart from potential advantages to the child, swimming can be done all the three trimesters as it doesn’t have any adverse effect on the mother and the child.

Even the chlorinated water doesn’t cause any problems. Women who swam in their pregnancy have shown lesser signs of congenital defects and preterm labor. Remember, swimming is usually considered safe during pregnancy. But it is better to consult your doctor and then sign up for a swimming regime. In case you have any complications, then seeking advice is a must.

11. It is equally advantageous for the kids

Kids require a minimum of 60 minutes of aerobic exercise every day. And swimming is a fun activity to include in and doesn’t feel like a normal work out. Your child will not just become a good swimmer but all his body parts will also be healthy and fully in function. So, why not include it in his daily regime.

12. Budget friendly

Swimming proves to be an affordable exercise for adults. Rather than signing up for gyms or spending money on cycle, you can easily spend on a 12-week program. Some public swimming pools and centers offer free swimming hours or charge on hourly basis for every session. So, you can easily spend a few dollars on a public swimming pool and enjoy swimming.

Get started

In order to get started with swimming, first of all you need to find a pool for yourself somewhere near you. Several swimming pools offer lap swimming times, while others provide water exercises and aqua activity classes. You should make a list of the pools and find out what they offer and then focus on your swimming costume and accessories.

In order to have a good swimming experience, you should have all the swimming gear and accessories. Check out the best swimming goggles for you and choose the one which is suitable for your face. You should also focus on using a swimming lotion on your body to avoid tanning. Keep these things in mind and swimming will prove to be a great exercise for you.