Swimming is the best form of exercise besides being fun and recreational activity. It is an act of gliding through water by using your arms, legs and body. The movement of swimming is called by different names such as backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly stroke, etc.
Swimming is considered to provide health advantage that surpasses the benefits provided by any other form of exercise. Swimming is a mix of resistance and aerobic exercise. This low impact activity has exceptional physical and mental benefits. This activity can be performed by all age group which can be continued for lifetime.
Health Benefits Of Swimming Regularly
Regular swimming helps to strengthen cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular and nervous system. It improves physical fitness as well as mental health. Here are some of the important benefits of swimming:
- Less impact: If you are not able to pound on ground due to joint pain and arthritis, swimming is the best form of exercise. It allows you to perform exercise without any harsh impact on the ground. It is so because when you are waist level in water, your body becomes lighter by 50 percent. Obese people and those with pain in joints may benefit from swimming.It allows you to move freely and reduces compression of joints.
- Swimming is a best resistance exercise. Water is denser than air. Thus movement of arm and leg and in fact the whole body is against resistance. Unlike other types of workouts where only few groups of muscle are used at a time, in swimming all the muscle group of body work at the same time.
- Swimming is beneficial for lowering high blood sugar. It also reduces the risk of suffering from diabetes if you regularly swim. Swimming for at least 30 minutes in a day reduces the risk of heart disease.
- Swimming is great exercise for improving the lung capacity. It is thus beneficial for preventing and decreasing the risk of asthma in people prone to develop it.
- Swimming is a great exercise for those participating in running competition. Swimming increases the oxygen intake capacity which helps you to run fast. The leg and thigh muscles should be strong while running. Swimming makes the muscles of thigh and leg strong which is beneficial for running a long race.
- The best part of swimming is that anyone can do it, which also includes children and pregnant woman.
- Generally any type of exercise helps to elevate your mood. However, swimming has a special mood boosting benefit. It reduces mental stress and depression. People with chronic stress benefit from doing regular swimming. It also has similar effects of meditation.
- The flow of blood increases in the brain when you remain submerged in water till the level of your heart. It thus benefits your nervous system.
- Swimming increases flexibility of body which many other exercises may not do so when performed on ground.
- Swimming has also become a major exercise in physical therapy for people who are recovering from surgery and injury.
Swimming as an exercise, sports, and recreation activity was known since ancient times. Every individual should learn swimming as it helps to stay active and healthy.