Top 10 Benefits of Swimming

Is Swimming a Good Form of Exercise?

Swimming is one of Australia’s most popular sports and pastimes. Our country is completely surrounded by water and many Australians learn how to swim at a young age and reinforce those skills at the local swimming pool and at the beach. What you might not know is that it is incredibly good for your physical and mental health. It is a great low-impact workout, making it a wonderful remedial exercise.

Top 10 Health Benefits of Swimming

There is no doubt that swimming benefits your physical health, however, you might not know just how much it does.  

1. Increases cardiovascular fitness and expands lung capacity 

Swimming is a fantastic form of aerobic exercise as it keeps your heart rate high. It also improves your lung capacity. While it may be frustrating not being able to breathe underwater, it has been proven that it helps overall lung health. Keeping the heart and lungs healthy reduces all-cause mortality, extending your lifespan. 

Stress and anxiety also begin with breathing. A healthy heart and lungs will transport more oxygen around the body, reducing our “flight or fight” response, decreasing cortisol, our stress hormone, and adrenaline, our anxiety hormone.

2. Tones muscles and builds strength 

Nearly all your muscles are activated when you swim, providing an effective full-body workout. Swimming provides a consistent resistance pattern, thus you might notice some muscles start to tone (particularly your shoulders, arms, and thighs). This toning effect is increased because swimming is a form of aerobic exercise, you can lose weight while adding muscle; see below. 

3. Aids weight loss

Swimming is an efficient way to lose weight, as it burns calories more effectively than other forms of low-impact physical activity such as walking or yoga.  We know you’re busy with work, school, kids, family, friends, etc. so get the most out of your limited time; don’t exercise inefficiently, exercise smart and start swimming today.

4. It is safe for most people 

As swimming is a low-impact exercise, it is safe for people recovering from injury, are elderly, or suffering from arthritis. It is generally safe for people who are pregnant. It is accessible to people of all ages and fitness levels. Swimming can cause some strain on the shoulders, especially the rotator cuff muscles, so getting sufficient rest and recovery in between sessions is important.

5. Increases flexibility

Swimming requires you to reach, stretch, and pull your way through the water, thus stretching your muscles. The different strokes also target different muscle groups and stretch different areas of the body. While we may forget about the importance of stretching, getting it done while doing exercise can be great for reducing the risk of injury and for those who are short on time.  

Getting started now before simple tasks like bending over, getting out of bed or a chair, and reaching for things becomes hard, your muscles will thank you. City Physio has a lot more information regarding flexibility and its benefits, for more information click here.

6. Low-impact cardio 

If you sometimes notice sore knees or ankles after high cardio workouts or running – you are not alone. Swimming, however, keeps your heart rate up without as much stress on your joints and muscles as other forms of exercise. This means less inflammation in the joints; knees, hips, and back. This is effective for people with arthritis, as keeping healthy can be hard when exercise becomes painful and has the potential to worsen their condition. 

7. Variety of swimming activities

Swimming is a type of exercise you can change up frequently, unlike running, so it might be the best form of cardio for you if you get bored easily. There are many different strokes to try while swimming, each having different levels of difficulty and targeting different muscles, such as breaststroke, backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly; you could even mix it up with sidestroke or elementary backstroke if you want! Variety is the spice of life!

8. Helpful for the elderly

If you are an elderly patient, finding a form of exercise that is not too challenging, but provides a good amount of exercise can be hard. Swimming is perfect as it is low-impact. Strain is taken off the muscles and joints like the back and hips while keeping the heart rate up, increasing fitness and the number of calories burnt.  Swimming also benefits flexibility and muscle mass so you can keep doing the activities you love, and living life the way you want.

9. Mental health benefits 

While swimming has many long-standing physical health benefits, regularly practicing your swimming has many benefits to your mental health. While swimming has many long-standing physical health benefits, regularly practicing your swimming has many benefits to your mental health. Being active and participating in aerobic activity has a positive impact on mental health and boosts mood. Being in the water forces you to take some time out of the day for yourself, with it being compared to yoga in terms of mental health improvements. 

A quick overview of the mental health benefits:

• Improves sleep
• Reduces stress and anxiety 
• Relaxation 
• Antidepressant effect

Not only do you get antidepressant benefits, swimming can help reduce stress and anxiety, you also get the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing an exercise session.

10. Good for all ages and fitness levels

Swimming is helpful for babies and for the elderly who need a form of exercise less strenuous than walking or running.  It is healthy for the sedentary and those wanting to diversify their exercise regimen, it is beneficial even for those who do not know how to swim. And learning how to swim can be daunting, especially if you’re a bit older. Good news, if you never learned how to swim, there’s been a long period between the time you last swam, or just want to touch up on the different swimming strokes; it is never too late to get back into it. So, start swimming today!

The Rundown on Swimming Benefits

Incorporating swimming into your routine is a fun and easy way to reap the rewards of many physical and mental benefits. Swimming benefits are as varied as they are effective. It is relatively inexpensive, and there are many local pools around Adelaide open to the public.  Going to the beach may be a longer drive, but it is free and provides a more difficult challenge than a pool. 

Here at City Physiotherapy, we are here to help you every step of the way and guide you through your recovery and journey to wellness. Book an appointment to speak with one of our competent and compassionate physios who can help with any questions regarding how to get you back in the pool and staying in the pool by treating any pain or injuries and reinforcing habits for your wellness and bodily longevity.

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