Swimming is one of the best ways to enjoy bodies of water like oceans, lakes, rivers, and pools. Some people appreciate it as a sport, while others use it for recreation or exercise. Most people swim for fun, but there are several benefits to adding swimming to your exercise regimen.
Most Americans do not get enough exercise, and many live sedentary lifestyles. If you want to include more physical activity in your daily and weekly routine, you should start with activities you enjoy doing. Swimming is an activity that’s fun while providing exertion, so you get the benefits of exercising without getting bored.
People are less likely to quit their exercise routines when they’re having fun. But aside from being enjoyable, swimming can also improve your health and overall quality of life. Here are five top reasons swimming is one of the best exercises you can do.
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Exercise is an effective way to decrease stress and anxiety. Over six million people in the United States suffer from an anxiety disorder, with less than half receiving treatment. An active lifestyle is an underrated and overlooked way to treat anxiety. Swimming is a relaxing exercise that can improve your mood and mental health.
When you exercise, endorphins are released in your brain. Endorphins are known as the “feel good” hormones because they relax you and naturally relieve pain and stress. Although exercise does put some level of stress on the body, swimming can cause you to release endorphins without being too strenuous.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a popular exercise known to produce good results over a shorter period. But HIIT can cause injury to your body and, depending on your physical condition, may not be best for you. One of the great things about swimming for exercise is almost everyone can do it. Children can start learning to swim as early as four years old! As you build a swim routine, you can try other methods like cold-water swimming or water aerobics to keep things fun and interesting.
Improves Balance and Flexibility
As your body ages, the need to improve your balance and flexibility increases. Balance and flexibility training can help you avoid falls and decrease your chances of injury. You can improve your balance by strengthening your core using specific exercises.
Swimming helps strengthen your core by using muscles in the upper and lower body for long strokes and flutter kicks. Most people devote time to stretching to improve flexibility, but spending time in the water can also help you become more balanced and improve joint flexibility.
Low Impact on Joints
Certain levels of physical activity can be counterintuitive if too much stress is put on the body, but activities like walking and swimming are light on the joints. Swimming, in particular, uses deep muscle recruitment to increase your heart rate without the strenuous movements in workouts like HIIT or running. You can get low-stress cardio in by taking a swim two to three times a week at the gym or community center.
If you have the space, you can invest in an in-ground pool and mesh pool fence for your backyard. Having access to a swimming pool can provide the perfect rehabilitation opportunities if you’ve had previous injuries. Aquatic therapy can help improve your mobility as you alternate between swimming and water aerobics to keep your body moving.
Build Lean Muscle
Swimming is a full-body workout as it works multiple muscle groups at once. It can help you lose weight and tone your body by building lean muscle. Your body uses more calories to maintain muscle mass, so a regular swim routine can keep you healthy and lean. Exercising in water provides the resistance training you need to keep your muscles working, as it is much harder to move your body in the water.
You can switch up your routine with swimming like any other exercise by learning different swim strokes and workouts. Learning different strokes can also improve your posture as you lengthen the spine and build muscle.
Improve Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in America. Over 20 million adults have coronary artery disease, and numbers are not improving. Like most exercises, swimming has proven to be effective in improving cardiovascular health. An active lifestyle should involve both cardio and resistance training to ensure optimal fitness. Including swimming in your exercise regimen is an easy way to get the benefits of both at once.
The Department of Health and Human Services suggests most Americans get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. You can include a 15 to 20-minute swim in your workout routine a few days per week to add fun and relaxation that will keep you on track.
Final Thoughts
Although one in four Americans live a sedentary lifestyle, exercise has many benefits. One of the best ways to maintain an active lifestyle is to do physical activities that you enjoy. Swimming is a fun activity that also serves as sufficient cardio for your fitness goals.
Some of the top reasons to use swimming for exercise include reducing anxiety, improving flexibility, and building lean muscle. Swimming is also light on your joints and improves your cardiovascular health. You can improve your health and fitness as a swimmer one stroke at a time.