Swim For The Win | Health Benefits of Swimming
If you are looking for ways to improve your health but hate exercising, the best answer is swimming. That's right, swim for the win! The health benefits of swimming can return the same rewards as those found in the gym!
For example, Calories burnt will be the same in the case of running for an hour and swimming for an hour. Not only is swimming more enjoyable and less stressful, but incorporating swimming into your weekly routine will provide you with major health benefits.
One of the best things about this low-impact exercise is that it is suitable for all with different fitness levels and ages. Thus, taking swimming lessons or joining your local recreation center or gym to access a swimming pool is highly recommended. It is a great way to improve your physical and mental health while socializing or enjoying a quality "me-time," as you prefer.
5 main swimming styles and strokes you need to know
So, if you are interested in using swimming for its health benefits, then you need to focus on the following popular and advantageous styles and strokes:
1. Breaststrokes
This one is considered one of the best cardio stroke workouts as it can improve lung and heart strength. This stroke can effectively tone your lower legs, hamstrings, upper back, chest muscles, triceps, and shoulders.
2. Backstrokes
This one can improve your posture as it can effectively lengthen the spine, making it a must for people with a desk job. It will also improve your spine mobility and hip flexibility. You are stretching your body to straighten it for this beneficial stroke movement. Hence, this stroke can properly tone your glutes, stomach, legs, arms, and shoulders.
3. Sidestrokes
Use this one to relieve pressure from your knees, lower back, or shoulders. This easy yet effective stroke improves endurance and toning legs, core muscles, and upper arms.
4. Freestyle
Also known as the front crawl, this stroke is considered one of the best stroke workouts for the back. Use this one to tone your glutes, stomach, and shoulders.
5. Butterfly
Out of the strokes mentioned above and styles, Butterfly is a bit more complex. Nevertheless, you should consider this one as it is the best swimming style for burning the most calories. You can improve your posture and flexibility as well. You must consider this one if you want to work on your upper body muscles.
5 major advantages of swimming routinely
So, here are some popular benefits that you can enjoy if you incorporate those as mentioned earlier or other such swimming styles and strokes in your weekly routine:
1. Boosted mental wellbeing
Just like in the case of yoga, you can effectively reduce your stress and anxiety with regular swimming. Many studies have shown that a person's mental health can improve with regular swimming, as just getting in the water is associated with reduced stress, a relaxed body, and peace of mind.
2. Enhances strength and overall fitness level
Hopefully, the abovementioned styles and strokes helped show that regular swimming can improve and strengthen your lungs, heart, muscles, and more. So, regular swimming is a great way to improve strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
3. Effective results with less effort
High-intensity workouts can provide excellent results; however, a person's age and fitness level play a determining role here. So, if you are more comfortable with low-impact workouts or suffering from joint pain, choose swimming over such workouts (for example, HIIT training). Swimming does not stress your muscles, bones, and joints as your body weight reduces and is hoisted up naturally when you go in the water. This is why swimming is recommended as recovery therapy for injuries and medical conditions like simple muscle strain/tears, advanced osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, etc.
4. Better sleep quality
As swimming is a form of low-impact exercise, with regular swimming, you can expect the same benefits of regular exercising, including improved sleep and sleep cycle. Hence, swimming is recommended for people suffering from insomnia to promote better sleep.
5. Keep things interesting
Following a set of exercises in a confined space daily can get boring as it offers no variations. Swimming allows you to change your workout routine by switching up the different styles and strokes. You can even change your view as and when you want by simply ditching your gym pool and going to a lake or the beach to swim that day.
Safety tips for all swimmers
Swimming can lead to dangerous hazards if proper safety precautions are not followed. So, here are some top safety tips for all swimmers:
Do stretches before you get in the water
Use a proper swimsuit and swim cap, nose clip, earplugs, goggles, and lifejackets as per your swimming abilities and the conditions of the water.
Wear sunscreen when swimming outsides.
Do not forget to hydrate yourself.
Not only do regular swimming lessons or classes come with major health benefits, but it is one of the easiest ways to switch up your weekly strength and endurance-building workout routine. It's relaxing, fun, and offers all these benefits, even if you take it slow.