Swimming Improves Your Health In These 10 Specific Ways

Swimming is a healthy activity with several health benefits from physical to mental well-being.

It is a low-impact activity, making it easy and suitable for people of different ages.

In this post, we’ll discuss the benefits of swimming and why you should consider adding to your routine.

1. Improves cardiovascular health 

Swimming is a great way of improving the heart, one of the most important organs in the body. 

Swimming is an aerobic activity. Thus, it makes the heart larger and a lot more efficient in pumping blood.

That way, you can be sure that there is adequate blood flow throughout your body. 

Researchers believe that swimming can provide enough form of a workout as many other land-based activities.

The American Heart Association also suggests two and a half hours of moderate-intensity physical activity per week is good for optimal health.

Hence, swimming can substitute for running, hiking, and several other activities. The pressure of water on the body when you swim will push blood to the heart, improving circulation. 

2. Improves muscle strength and tone

In addition to having improved heart efficiency, swimmers also tend to gain muscle strength throughout their bodies. 

As a swimmer, you utilize different body parts. Your arms pull while your legs kick, your back rotates, and your stomach tightens to make your body’s core stable. 

Therefore, swimming is one of the best aerobic exercises to increase muscular strength and tone. Every kick and arm strike you make helps you achieve this goal. 

Even post-menopausal women have reported seeing improvements in their bone strength through swimming. 

3. Reduces stress 

Regular physical activities have been shown to lower stress levels. Swimming is one of those activities which generally improves strength. 

When you swim with the right techniques, the “rhythmic breathing” phenomenon occurs. When this happens, the part of your nervous system deals with relaxation gets triggered. 

Many people refer to yoga as the most relaxing activity, but swimming can give you a similar relaxing response. 

The sound you hear when you breathe, and the sound of water rushing helps you focus and get rid of surrounding distractions.

Research shows that swimming can reverse damage to the brain caused by stress. It does this through a process known as ‘hippocampal neurogenesis.’ For me, this is one of the most important health benefits of swimming.

4. Helps recover from injury

Having an injury or suffering from certain conditions such as Arthritis can reduce the exercise level you can do. 

Swimming is a low-impact activity that injured people can undertake to remain fit. It allows them to have it easy on their joints while getting the best results from the exercise. 

Research published in the International Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that swimming is better for exercise recovery than straight-up rest. 

Water gently supports your muscles, making swimming a preferable choice for people who can’t do high-impact activities. 

5. Builds up bone mass

Most people believe that only weight-bearing activities help to build up bone mass. However, this is a wrong notion. 

According to research available in the Journal of Applied Physiology, swimming shows an increase in Bone Mineral Density and femoral bone weight. 

Although, the research also suggests that running has higher benefits than swimming in terms of bone mass.

However, people who cannot take on running because of its intensity can look to swimming as a suitable alternative. 

6. Can improve exercise-induced asthma 

It is always frustrating to try to exercise and begin to worry about your breath. One of the health benefits of swimming is that it can help eliminate this worry. I’ll explain.

Swimming as a form of fun workout may be a safer activity for people with asthma. It promotes steady, moderate exertion compared with high-intensity exercises involving heavy, repetitive breathing. 

People are less likely to have exercise-induced asthma attacks. A recent study shows that children who took part in a swimming program had improved symptoms. 

Swimming allows you to breathe moist air while exercising. It is less likely for people to have exercise-induced asthma when swimming. 

Swimming not only helps improve asthma symptoms, but it can also improve the lungs’ overall health. 

7. Is a good way to burn calories 

Swimming can be a very effective way to burn calories, depending on the intensity of your swimming. 

It is a perfect choice in this case because the water cools you down while you have your calories burned. 

From a perspective, a 10-minute run burns about 100 calories. A strong 10-minute butterfly session can burn up to 150 calories. Vigorous butterfly strokes have been shown to burn more than 400 calories in 30 minutes. 

Swimming involves the movement of several muscles, so a lot of calories are burned in return. The more intense your swimming is, the more calories you tend to burn. 

8. Aids weight control 

High-intensity exercises are usually hard on the joints. Low-intensity exercises like swimming, on the other hand, are easy on your joints. 

According to the American Council on Exercise, the force that makes you float reduces body weight by up to 90 percent. 

That is, your joints only have to deal with 10 percent of your weight load. That way, the chances of getting injured while swimming gets reduced drastically. 

Therefore, swimming is a great exercise option for everyone of different skill levels. 

9. Improves symptoms of multiple sclerosis 

When you immerse yourself in water, your limbs remain afloat, providing your body with sufficient support and gentle resistance. 

This can be helpful for individuals with multiple sclerosis. A study showed that multiple sclerosis patients who took part in a swimming program had a significant reduction in their pain. 

People who participated in the program also showed improved sclerosis-related symptoms and improved fatigue and depression. 

10. Regulates blood sugar 

It is hardly talked about, but swimming can help regulate blood sugar levels in the body. 

According to a study, swimming three times a week increases people’s insulin sensitivity. It also balances blood glucose levels. 

That way, when you swim, you reduce the risks of having diabetes. And if you have diabetes, swimming can help regulate your blood sugar. 

Related: Ice Bath: 7 Surprising Health Benefits (Backed By Science)

Takeaway

Swimming is a fun and simple workout that will keep you fit and improve your health at the same time – try it for the health benefits.

It is suitable for people of different ages and health conditions. It is a great activity to undertake for improved health conditions.