Of all the types of sports activities, swimming is an excellent way to work the muscles of the whole body, but also the internal organs, especially the cardiovascular system. An hour of swimming burns almost as many calories as running, for example, without having the same impact on bones and joints.
For example, swimming is the fourth most popular sport in a country like the United States. Why? The answer is very simple: there are a lot of benefits you can get when you exercise regularly with lifeguard training. Let’s see what these benefits are and how you can incorporate swimming into your routine.
SWIMMING WORKS EVERY MUSCLE IN YOUR BODY
One of the biggest benefits of swimming is that it trains your whole body, from head to toe. Swimming:
Increases heart rate and strengthens the cardiovascular system without putting too much pressure on joints and bones
- Tones muscles
- Increases muscle strength and endurance.
- Improves physical endurance
There are several types of swimming that you can try, the most popular being the following:
- Bras
- Spate
- Butterfly
- Freestyle (several types of swimming combined)
Of course, depending on the type of swimming chosen, some muscle groups will be worked more intensely. What is certain is that you use most muscle groups to move your body through the water. The advantages of this type of exercise are much more visible than in the case of “classic” workouts.
SWIMMING ALSO TRAINS YOUR INTERNAL ORGANS
It’s not just the muscle groups that get more attention when you swim. The cardiovascular system is also very well trained due to swimming exercises. Swimming makes your heart and lungs strong. It is considered by researchers to be one of the factors that significantly reduce the risk of death. Compared to inactive people, swimmers have this risk of premature death reduced by almost half.
IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED IN THE TREATMENT OF PEOPLE WITH INJURIES, ARTHRITIS OR OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS
- Arthritis
- Injury
- Disability
Other conditions that, by their nature, make high-impact exercise difficult
Swimming can even help reduce pain or improve your recovery from an injury. A medical study found, for example, that people with osteoarthritis reported a significant reduction in joint pain and stiffness and experienced less physical limitation after engaging in sports such as swimming and cycling.
IT IS A VERY GOOD TRAINING OPTION FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM CONDITIONS SUCH AS ASTHMA OR MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS.
Also, exercises associated with this sport, such as holding your breath, can help you strengthen your lung capacity and gain better control over the inspiration/expiration process.
However, some studies suggest that swimming may increase the risk of developing asthma due to the chemicals used in the process of treating the pools. Talk to your doctor about the potential risks of starting swimming exercises. If you suffer from asthma, it would be advisable to look for a pool that uses salt water instead of chlorine.
Swimming is also a beneficial activity for people suffering from multiple sclerosis. The water makes the limbs float, lighter, helping them to be supported during exercise. Water also has a beneficial effect on the whole body, in that it significantly reduces pain. A 20-week swimming program in a medical study led to a significant reduction in pain for people with multiple sclerosis. These people also experienced improvements in symptoms such as fatigue, depression, and disability.
Swimming is an effective way to burn calories. For example, a person who weighs 75 kilograms burns about 423 calories per hour at a low or medium intensity of the swimming session . The same person could burn up to 715 calories per hour if the intensity of the training increased. A person who weighs 100 kilograms and trains identically to the person in the example above would burn between 528 and 892 calories per hour.
A yoga session burns only 183 calories per hour. One hour of elliptical training burns 365 calories.
SWIMMING IMPROVES SLEEP
One of the most important gains of swimming is that it helps you sleep better at night. In a study of elderly adults with insomnia, participants reported both an increase in quality of life and an increase in sleep after starting to do regular aerobic exercise and swimming. Almost 50% of older people experience some level of insomnia, so this is great news. It should be noted, however, that the study focused on all types of aerobic exercise (fitness, swimming, cycling, etc.). This can make swimming a good choice for older adults who want to improve their sleep.
An important quality of swimming is that it is accessible to a wide range of people with medical problems or who do, by the nature of the condition, other physical exercises, such as running, less attractive, and treating insomnia is no exception, as we have shown above.
SWIMMING STRENGTHENS YOUR CONFIDENCE AND INDUCES AN EXCELLENT MOOD
Researchers C. Neville and T. Hen wood of The University of Queensland (Australia) conducted a study and evaluated a small group of people (10 women, 1 man) suffering from dementia. They saw an improvement in patients’ mood after they participated in a 12- week swimming-based exercise program. However, the study’s authors point out that swimming training and “aquatic gymnastics” group classes are not only psychologically beneficial for people with dementia, but should be tried by everyone. According to the authors, swimming improves your mood and helps you live longer.
IT HELPS TO ELIMINATE THE STRESS AND FRUSTRATIONS THAT ACCUMULATE THROUGHOUT THE DAY
Swimming is one of the most widely recognized sports in that it helps reduce stress. For example, Professor CC Chen interviewed a group of swimmers just before the start of swimming exercises at the YMCA in Taipei City, Taiwan. Of the 101 people surveyed, 44 reported being slightly depressed and / or stressed. This was mainly due to social pressure and the fast pace of their lives. After the swimming sessions, the number of people who were still left with a feeling of stress decreased to the interesting figure of 8. However, the connection between the two is the subject of extensive research, which does not mean that swimming is a sport that should be avoided when you want to eliminate, as much as possible, the stress in your life.
SWIMMING IS ALSO A SAFE SPORT FOR EXPECTANT MOTHERS
Swimming is not only safe for pregnant women, but often even indicated. Expectant mothers and their children can benefit greatly from swimming lessons. It is even assumed that swimming can protect future children against a certain neurological condition called hypoxia-ischemia, but to confirm this hypothesis it is necessary to do more specialized medical research. Swimming is also an activity that can be performed by the mother in all three trimesters of pregnancy.
Another study shows that there are no side effects of swimming in chlorinated pools during pregnancy. In fact, pregnant women who swam regularly between the beginning of pregnancy and halfway through it had a lower risk of premature labor and the appearance of birth defects in children.
However, despite the fact that swimming is generally considered safe during pregnancy, some women may have restrictions because of the complications that can occur. Talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise program during pregnancy and, if you have complications, ask what activities are safe for you.
IT IS A SPORT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN
These exercises do not have to be an obligation. Therefore, swimming, which is a fun activity, should be considered. Children may find it easier to start swimming because it is a lighter exercise. It doesn’t seem as difficult or formal as a fitness workout.
Your child can take either personal swimming lessons, more suitable at an early age. Later, he can be part of a swimming team. Also, “free” swimming, which leaves it up to the child to choose which swimming style to choose, without being pressured by the coach or colleagues, is another option to consider when you want to make him move.