Swimming in a pool can not only be fun, but also a great workout! Here are some benefits:
1. Swimming has a low impact on your joints. Unlike running, there is no ground impact while swimming, so your joints are put under less strain. When submerged in water, you are buoyant and your body is supported by the water.
2. Swimming is an excellent way to increase muscle and strength. Every stroke and kick becomes a resistance exercise for the swimmer. This is because water is about twelve more times dense as air. Swimming uses all the major muscle groups, including your back, shoulders, abdomen, legs, and glutes.
3. Swimming is an aerobic exercise that helps improve and strengthen your heart. Swimming can help your heart become more efficient in pumping blood, which leads to improved blood flow throughout your body.
Image Source: Iuliia Isaieva
4. Swimming burns a lot of calories and is a good exercise for weight control. If you swim efficiently and intensely, in an hour, you can burn up to 500-650 calories. Also, keep in mind that the different swimming strokes burn different amounts of calories. In 10 minutes of swimming, the breast stroke burns about 60 calories while the butterfly stroke burns about 150 calories.
5. It is healthy to have higher levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL) and lower levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL). Swimming can improve the balance of good and bad cholesterol levels because swimming is an aerobic exercise. Studies have shown that aerobic exercises help to keep the endothelium, the thin layer of cells that lines the arteries, in good condition. As you age, the endothelium loses flexibility, but aerobic exercises cause your arteries to expand and contract, therefore sustaining flexibility.
Remember: Stretching is important to prepare your body for exercise, to increase range of motion, and to prevent muscle or joint strains. Because swimming involves your whole body, it is important to stretch all of the major muscle groups before swimming. These muscle groups include the triceps, calves, hamstrings, and abdominals.
After reading these benefits of swimming, aren’t you excited to swim? As it heats up, jump into a pool and start swimming!
