In addition to being a popular sport, swimming is a great way to stay fit and stay healthy. It is a healthy activity that you can pursue throughout your life because it has a low-impact activity that has many physical and mental health benefits.
Swimming is called perfect exercise because you can get all the benefits of aerobic exercise without damaging your joints, and it can be done by both the very old and the very young with Lifeguard training.
Athletes use it to stay strong and stay fit when returning to injury. No equipment is needed, all you need to do is get in the water and you’re good to go.
Here are the reasons why you should take a big breath and dive in!
1. It’s big for your lungs
When your face is underwater, oxygen is a reward. Your body, in turn, adapts to use oxygen more efficiently. When you swim, you take in more fresh air with each breath and remove more carbon dioxide with each exhale.
A study in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology has also revealed that swimmers have a better tidal volume (the amount of air that moves in and out of the lungs during relaxing breathing) compared to runners. This results in a lower resting heart rate, lower blood pressure and better running levels.
2. Improves muscle definition and strength
Swimmers gain muscle strength throughout the body. If runners see the foot building on their feet, swimmers use more muscle groups to move through the water. When the legs kick, the arms pull. As your back reaches and spins, your abdomen tightens to strengthen your legs and stabilize your core, making swimming one of the best aerobic exercises that a full body workout gives you.
3. Reduces stress and depression
As mentioned above, swimming stretches the body continuously. Combine this with deep rhythmic breathing and you can experience relaxation. It is also soothing and meditative, as the sound of your breathing and the water you draw will help you focus inward and drown out all other distractions. This lowers stress and depression naturally.
Studies have also shown that swimming can reverse brain damage from stress through a process called hippocampal neurogenesis. So, if you feel like drowning emotionally, jumping into another body of water may be exactly what you need to find good legs.
4. It turns the clock backwards
According to Indiana University research, swimmers are biologically 20 years younger than their driving license says they are. Researchers also say that up to the age of 70, swimming affects blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart performance, central nervous system health, cognitive function, muscle mass, and blood chemistry much more similarly than in your younger self.
5. You burn more calories by swimming than when you drink
When you compare swimming to running, you can burn more calories in the swimming circles around the pool than you feel in the laps. An hour of intense laps can burn up to 715 calories. The same time driving at 5 km / h burns only 606 calories.
6. Good for asthmatics
Swimming is great for people who suffer from chronic lung diseases such as asthma, especially sports-induced asthma. Swimming is the best exercise for asthma patients because the moisture in the water replaces the moisture expelled during intense breathing.
7. Swimming makes you smarter
Regular swimming improves memory function and thinking skills. This is beneficial not only for the classroom and work, but it is also beneficial as you age as it reduces inflammation and insulin resistance in the brain, which promotes the growth of new brain cells. Swimming also improves mood, anxiety and stress, which increases the brain’s ability to think more efficiently.
8. Reduces the risk of disease
Not only does swimming help control blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure, and reduce bad blood cholesterol, it’s also a good and excellent cardio exercise for your heart, making regular swimming less likely to develop diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
9. Treatment for insomnia
People who participate in swimming are more likely to complain about a bad night or report sleep disorders because swimming helps to avoid insomnia and waking up too early.
10. Sweat free
Swimming is sweat free. As a swimmer, you will never overheat or feel sweating because the water around you is constantly cooling you.
