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Health Benefits of Swimming

The health benefits of swimming are numerous. The human body is an amazing engineering feat. While the body is not specifically designed to swim, it is easily able to do due to the natural range of movement and natural buoyancy.

Swimming is one of the most common recreational activities across the globe and is often formalized as a sport in various ways. Swimming is taught in many countries at a very young age and the health benefits of swimming that come from this type of exercise are for people of all ages. Because of its accessibility and ease, swimming is an activity that is beneficial for most people. Swimming and personal training go together because it is another form of training that you can do with your personal trainer.

The health benefits of swimming are numerous. Not only is swimming a great cardio exercise, but it has anaerobic benefits as well.Health Benefits of Swimming

Whole-Body Exercise

The major benefit of swimming is that it is both a whole-body exercise while being a low-impact type of movement. You can achieve a lot of laps without unnecessarily stressing the body. This type of exercise can be done by pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses and people recovering from surgery and avoids pressure on joints – the effect being a reduced chance of joint damage.

Aerobic

Swimming is an excellent and very common form of aerobic exercise that will help overall fitness and long-term health. The muscles are worked because the body needs to push through the water and also stay afloat. Even doing very little in terms of time can cause the heart rate to get up to a strong level very quickly. As with any aerobic exercise, this can help with weight loss and fat burning.

A stronger heart can also be a result of regular swimming. The aerobic exercise required and the change in body temperature in a pool, the sea, a lake, or a river will encourage the heart to work harder. In doing so the heart will strengthen so it is prepared for the next time this activity takes place. Keeping active and changing the routine will encourage this process more quickly. Cholesterol levels can also be reduced as you continue on a consistent swimming routine.

Anaerobic

While being good for aerobic exercise, swimming contains a resistance aspect that can help with muscle toning and anaerobic training. The power required to push through the water will help to develop a certain level of muscle mass over a period of time. While this type of training cannot be compared to weight training, it can have a fantastic effect on toning muscle.

The natural range of movement required to swim will also encourage more flexibility throughout the body. The various styles of swimming move the joints in different ways and combining a number of them can help to keep joints using their full range of movement. The reduced impact on the joints takes away any of the pain or discomfort elements that may be found in other exercises.

Mental Health Benefits of Swimming

Finally, there is a mental aspect to swimming that is often understated. The relaxing nature of swimming (in the right conditions) can help to reduce stress and promote better mental health. This will have a strong impact on overall and day-to-day health that, while not measurable, is not any less important. Mental stress is known to have an effect on physiological health so removing or reducing this will greatly improve overall health.

It is important to remember that because of the ease of this form of exercise a lot of people regard swimming as fun and this will encourage the average person to do more of it. The overall benefits of swimming are fairly obvious but the ease and accessibility of swimming make it a form of exercise that many can take on.