It is interesting to point out that swimming is the fourth most popular sporting activity in the world, and is considered to be a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity. It is an excellent form of exercise that benefits the body and the whole person. What makes swimming good entirely depends on what you would like to accomplish as a swimmer, but it is a good all-round activity that is suitable for anyone of any age and can be continued for a lifetime.
Swimming offers a wide range of health benefits, and it’s pretty intriguing to mention that a swimmer has about half the risk of death compared with an inactive person. Nonetheless, here are some awesome health benefits of swimming.
Builds cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle endurance
Unlike jogging and running that engages only the lower body; swimming is the form of exercise that’s both cardio and strength training that targets every muscle in your body. It stimulates your heart to pump more blood and your lungs to work harder when you breathe between strokes. More muscles including your thighs, triceps, biceps and calf muscles become hugely engaged as well. In fact, swimming improves maximal oxygen consumption by up to 10 percent.
Water provides the best natural resistance training for your muscles. For instance, the faster you swim, the more the resistance your muscles are subjected and hence it results into healthy muscle endurance development without adding undue pressure on your joints. Additionally, swimming help create a somewhat perfect muscle tone.
Helps maintain a healthy weight
It is quite evident that swimming is a physical activity, and hence it can help burn calories depending on how your efficiency as a swimmer. According to a recent research, swimming can burn about 88 percent of the calories burned during running and approximately 97 percent of the calories burned during cycling for an equivalent period of time. However, the amount of calories burned is completely dependent on the intensity of your swimming, for instance, you can utilize interval training in your workout to burn more calories for a healthy weight.
Lowers the risk of asthma
Take up swimming if you are asthmatic. Swimming provides the friendliest environment for asthmatic people to work out due to the presence of moist air that allows your lungs to work out more efficiently. In fact, it helps improve lung volume and proper breathing techniques that play a big role in suppressing asthma related symptoms. For instance, you can swim during the cold and allergic seasons if you would like to have better quality of life without snoring, mouth breathing and regular emergency room visits.
Alleviates stress and improves brain health
Everyone needs to reduce stress and build brain power, and swimming is the most perfect workout that can help you achieve both. As you swim, your body tends to increase the release of feel good chemicals known as endorphins associated with the combination of constant stretching and relaxing of muscles, and rhythmic deep breaths. Basically, these chemicals induce a feel good mood that enables you to relax, and hence alleviate both physical and emotional stress.
A stress free environment can tremendously change your brain for the better through replacement (a process stimulated by the release of endorphins) of stressed and dead brain cells.