8 Benefits of Swimming No Matter What Your Fitness Level
Regardless of your fitness level, the general benefits of swimming are yours to go out and grab and create something of your own.
It has the power to refresh your muscles, turn you into the king of cardio, turn back the clock and calm you down faster than a secluded beach in the Bahamas.
But if that’s not enough to make you reach for your swimsuit, here are our top benefits of swimming, showing you that there’s nothing like being too cool for the pool.
Top 8 benefits of swimming
Total body workout. Swimming uses the muscles of your entire body, so whether you’re doing a gentle breaststroke or a hammer butterfly, you’ll get a full-body workout. Plus, working out in the water makes your body work harder, so 30 minutes in the pool is equivalent to 45 minutes on land.
Great for overall health. Swimming 3 times a week for 30 minutes, combined with a balanced, healthy diet and lifestyle, is one of the best ways to stay healthy and maintain a positive mental outlook. Doing it with a friend is even more fun!
De-stress and relax. Whether work is stressing you out, the kids are a nightmare, or just life in general, we all just want to scream sometimes. Well, help is at hand. Regular swimming can lower stress levels, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve your sleep patterns. Feeling the mental benefits of swimming only requires a light swim. No lane pounding required.
Burn those calories. Swimming is one of the most effective ways to burn calories. A gentle swim can burn more than 200 calories in just half an hour, more than twice as much as walking. Faster swimming will find the chocolate bar running faster than running or biking.
Reduce the risk of disease. Swimming 30 minutes a week is not only a great cardiovascular workout, it also helps prevent heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Support your body. Water supports up to 90 percent of your body weight. So if you sprained your ankle at a Monday night soccer game, or have a long-term injury or illness, swimming is a fantastic way to stay active.
Increase your energy levels. Inactivity, not aging, is often the reason people lack energy. Swimming for 30 minutes three times a week can boost your energy levels by increasing your metabolic rate.
Exercise without sweating. If sweating makes you give up other forms of exercise, fear not! As a swimmer, no matter how hard you work, you won’t feel sweaty because the water around you is always cooling you down.
