The health benefits of swimming are endless. Swimming offers a great full-body workout, and, as a low-impact sport, it’s a great activity to try whatever your age or ability. It’s a brilliant form of cardiovascular exercise that will help you tone up and lose weight. Not only does it help with your physical health, but it’s proven to be a great form of stress relief and immensely good for your mental health too. Whether it’s splashing around with the kids, swimming laps for fitness or lying on the beach and taking a dip on a hot summer’s day, swimming is a fun and invigorating sport for just about everyone.
If you’re still not sure your next workout should be in the pool, here are a few more reasons to convince you…
1. Swimming is not an ‘easy option’
Water is 12 times denser than air, meaning that a workout in water is a very effective way to tone up – any thoughts that a swim may be easier than a workout on land are definitely unfounded. In fact, swimming is now recognised as one of the biggest calorie burners around! When you start swimming, you use your muscles in a way that is unfamiliar to them, so you’re likely to be a little sore after your first session.
2. Swimming improves muscle tone and strength
Unlike other exercises, swimming works a wide range of muscle groups with minimal impact as the water bears 90% of your body weight, making it the perfect exercise for stiff muscles and sore joints. So, whilst the treadmill, bike, or cross-trainer offer many cardiovascular benefits – swimming may challenge your body in a whole new way. Since you use both your upper and lower body to propel yourself through the water, you engage more muscles and subsequently burn more calories too. It will also significantly enhance your core strength, which is important to overall health and stability in everyday life.
3. Regular swimming will improve your physical and heart health
From improving your fitness, flexibility and strength, to increasing circulation and building up endurance, swimming can benefit your physical health in many ways. Because swimming is an aerobic exercise, it can also strengthen the heart, making it more efficient at pumping and leading to better blood flow throughout your body. Studies show that just 30 minutes of an exercise such as swimming per day can reduce coronary heart disease in women by up to 40%, now that’s a good reason to get in the pool!
4. Swimming has mental health benefits too
Not only will taking a dip in the pool help you get physically fit, but it can help to keep your mind in good shape too. Rhythmic and aerobic forms of exercise, just like swimming, have been proven to help with depression. Plus, adding a swim into your routine is a great way to unwind after a hard day.
5. Swimming is inexpensive
One of the best things about swimming is how little kit you need to get started – a good swimming costume or pair of trunks, and, in theory, you’re ready to go. The most you’ll be splashing out on is a pair of goggles, a swimming hat, and possibly ear plugs.
6. It’s a great way to keep the kids active
Swimming also offers great benefits to kids, most importantly because it’s FUN! Swimming lessons are a great opportunity for children to learn essential safety skills and have fun with their friends while they do it. Swimming gives an enormous sense of freedom in the water and is a brilliant way to keep the kids active in a fun way.
How to get started
So let’s get swimming! Whether it’s with friends, family or on your own, there’s endless fun to be had in the water.