10 Hidden Benefits Of Swimming

Today’s technology-driven world has taken over not just our lives but our lifestyles as well. With everything around us being automated, our lifestyles have predominantly become sedentary, with little to no scope left for any form of physical activity. In the long run, this trend leads to numerous health issues and, therefore, a lot of health experts recommend that all average adults must involve their bodies in 150 minutes of moderate activity every week. This activity should be holistic in nature i.e. it must involve the movement of every part of our bodies. If you are wondering which activity or exercise could help us move every single muscle in our bodies, the answer is pretty simple – swimming. With numerous health benefits of swimming, it is the most ideal form of exercise one must indulge in. From children to adults to athletes, swimming is beneficial for people of all ages and physical abilities, with no exceptions. Now that we’ve taken a deep breath, let’s dive into the top 10 reasons why you should start swimming.

1. Swimming helps the muscles get stronger and more defined

Swimming is one of the best aerobic activities that work your whole body – as your back stretches and turns, your stomach contracts to power your legs and maintain your core. As one spends more time swimming in the water, one becomes more robust. When compared to runners, swimmers use a wider variety of muscular groups to move through the water. As the legs kick, the arms pull. Michel Phelps’ perfectly toned body is the best example of the kind of aesthetic and athletic physique swimming can carve for you.

2. Bones become stronger

While weight-bearing exercises such as walking and running and weight-lifting exercises are essential for the creation of new bone and are also known to increase bone density, swimming, per se, does not offer similar benefits. However, one of the advantages of swimming is that it has positive effects on bone quality. A comprehensive systematic review of 64 scientific studies that delved into the impact of swimming on bones found out that swimming has a positive impact on bone quality and strength.

3. Improves flexibility and keeps you from getting stiff

Swimming requires various actions that include reaching, twisting, and pulling. The varied strokes that you employ for swimming involve repetitive stretching, which helps your body grow more flexible over time. Your ankles morph into fins, which allow you to swim against the resistance of the water by being stretched out with each kick.

4. Helps reduce swelling

In addition to the well-known fact that swimming is good for your heart because it strengthens your heart muscle, studies have shown that swimming and other aerobic exercises may also lessen inflammation that can contribute to atherosclerosis. Since reducing system-wide inflammation leads to slowed disease development in many other areas and research on this topic is ongoing, therefore, we should anticipate hearing of many more benefits of swimming everyday.

5. Burns calories quickly

One of the major health benefits of swimming include burning calories. Not many of us may be aware that swimming is just as good at fat burning as jogging on a treadmill. Depending on the stroke you use and the effort you put into it, it is possible to burn just as many calories or even more when swimming as you would while running. 

6. Beneficial for asthma patients

Many studies have established the importance of swimming in enhancing the health and functioning of our lungs, thereby helping reduce asthma symptoms. Contrary to working out inside a gym where the air is dry, or running in the open where, in some seasons, the air is dry and there is high pollen count, swimming provides an opportunity to practise while breathing in humid air.

7. Swimming makes you smarter

As unbelievable as it may sound, there have been many studies which establish that children who swim regularly show significant advances in language development, motor skill, self-esteem, and physical maturity than their counterparts who did not participate in swimming.

Besides, there’s another incredible advantage of swimming – it is a great way to develop math skills. Swimming helps improve math skills since swimmers continually use math to estimate the distance of their sets and interval workouts.

8. Reduces stress and sadness

Positive swimming effects on body shape are quite evident since it involves regular stretching. Surprisingly, however, you may also experience a calming effect while swimming like that achieved by yoga. The release of endorphins combined with the calming effects of deep, rhythmic breathing offers an experience unlike any other. In effect, it helps reduce stress as well as sadness.

9. Swimming in salt water can be good for your skin

Swimming regularly in salt water has been demonstrated to increase the skin’s capacity to cleanse and retain moisture, thereby encouraging the growth of new skin cells. Many swimmers report significant improvement in their skin after they start open-water exercises in the ocean instead of swimming in a pool.

10. Swimming might make you live longer

Studies show that swimming is good for weight loss, thereby improving one’s health as well as lifespan. Scientists at the University of South Carolina followed 40,547 guys (aged 20 to 90) over the course of 32 years. They found that swimmers had a 50% reduced mortality rate compared to non-exercisers, runners, and walkers.

Takeaway

For those looking forward to starting their exercise journey, Huna Aquatics is the best option. Swimming is probably the best regimen. While swimming’s effects on body shape are incredible, many people have been primarily swimming for weight loss. Either way, it is best to swim for a minimum of 20 to 40 minutes every day to reap the full benefits of this holistic exercise.