Dive into Swimming this Summer
Sweet, sweet summertime! We’ve finally made it and can now cherish the warm weather. While some may choose to get out by participating in 5k’s and marathons, others are choosing to relax poolside or on the beach. Unbeknownst to most, swimming is more than just a fun summertime activity. Swimming, especially treading water, is an incredible exercise that rivals running or walking in a variety of ways. In honor of Swim A Lap Day last week, let’s delve into the benefits of swimming.
First and foremost, swimming uses your entire body. Your legs, your core muscles and your arms all play a part while swimming around. Obviously swimming isn’t meant to be used to increase your power, but swimming will help build strength and endurance over time. Swimming will help tone your muscles and your heart as well! You’ll get a great cardio workout all while eliminating the added stress to your body of a conventional workout. Your lungs and heart will surely get stronger the longer and harder you swim. If you happen to suffer from asthma, multiple sclerosis or are pregnant, exercising may be harder to do without hurting your body, but swimming allows for longer sustained, less strenuous movement. Ultimately, you will burn more calories faster when swimming than you will if you were to go for a run or walk. Swimming gently for a half an hour will burn well over 200 calories, so imagine the impact of swimming hard for an hour!
Swimming burns calories and fat. Studies consistently show that 30 minutes of backstroke or freestyle swimming can burn an average of 40-50 calories more than 30 minutes of running at a moderate speed of 6 miles per hour.
There are many different types of swimming strokes that require different levels of exertion (and uses different muscles), so your calorie burn will depend on which stroke you are using and how hard you are swimming. Swimming provides a full body workout, but running may be a better option for losing weight.
Swimming is a low impact activity which makes it a great exercise for older adults or anyone who struggles with joint pain or mobility issues. The buoyancy of the water helps to support some of your body weight which reduces the strain on your joints. Because of this, swimmers can move their limbs and joints through their full range of motion more easily than if they weren’t in the water. Swimming works a lot of major muscle groups such as the upper body, core, and leg muscles. These muscles are crucial when it comes to posture and stability. Strengthening these muscles will reduce the fall risk for the older population. One study conducted in Australia evaluated 1,700 men who were 70 and older. The study found that those who swam were 33% less likely to fall compared to men who didn’t swim. In addition, swimming improves heart health while lowering blood pressure, and reducing risk of heart and lung disease. Swimming can help improve bone mineral density which reduces the risk of osteoporosis. It can also help increase flexibility in your hips, legs, arms, and neck.
Swimming provides a low impact full body workout and summer is the perfect time to take a dip in the pool. Whether you are already physically fit or are looking to start working out, swimming can be a great addition to your workout routine. The various strokes provide different levels of exertion for work different muscle groups. It can improve your heart health, flexibility, mental health, and can even help your improve sleep. It’s a great workout for those that have joint pain or mobility problems. And for an added bonus, you won’t even break a sweat! Next time you take a dip in a pool try to swim a couple of laps. Your heart and joints will thank you.