Exercises such as swimming are preferred more than gyms or sports that require a lot of activities. The benefits of swimming are many; including maintaining good health and a great physique while having fun with your family and friends. It is believed that this sport promotes the proper functioning of various organs in our body, such as the heart, brain, skeletal system, joints, and different muscles. Also, it is known for lowering the risk of various diseases, especially those caused by an unhealthy lifestyle and diet. Athletes suffering from acute or long-term obesity also turn to swimming because it is one of the easiest exercises to do that allows you to lose the most weight without tiring yourself out too much. When you swim, you not only look younger, but you also feel younger, lighter, and more energetic. Listed below are the top 10 health benefits swimming provides and why we should incorporate it into our daily lifestyle to stay fit and healthy.
- Live a Longer Life
Who would not want to live long? Most of us want a longer life to enjoy with our family, friends, and love ones. One way to achieve this is to exercise and eat a well-balanced diet. Swimming is among the way not only to enjoy our loved ones but a way to live a longer life. As a result of the health and mental benefits swimming has on our bodies and minds, researchers have noted that swimmers live longer than those who do not swim regularly. As a result of these numerous benefits, swimming makes us live a longer, disease-free life and has a positive impact on our mindset and mood. It enhances our relationship with friends and family since it also is a fun activity, but also a great exercise for us to being fit and live a healthier and life.
2. A Calmer and Clearer Mind
Meditations and breathing techniques are among the ways to be calm and have a relaxed state. Swimming on the other hand also makes us calm and make us focus. Those who swim tend to become happier and in a generally good mood since they release chemicals called endorphins when they swim. Stress is relieved through this endorphin, which leaves you with an improved mood and a higher spirit. In addition to your head feeling lighter, your brain will be clear enough to stay focused on your daily tasks. When you are under stress, your brain and body lose cells. Swimming helps you replace these lost cells and regain focus on the task on hand.
3. Reduces the Risk of Diabetes
Based on the 83,564 death certificates with diabetes listed as the underlying cause of death, diabetes was the seventh (7th) leading cause of death in the United States in 2017. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), In 2019, an estimated 1.5 million deaths were directly caused by diabetes. Another 2.2 million deaths were attributable to high blood glucose in 2012. Preventing or reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes involves maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a normal weight, and avoiding smoking. In swimming, we burn a lot of calories, which increases our body’s sensitivity to insulin. In people who are able to swim, the risk of diabetes decreases and the symptoms gradually fade away. Additionally, even those without diabetes benefit from swimming because it keeps the blood sugar level in check while staying hydrated.
4. Lowers the Level of Cholesterol
When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can form plaque when it combines with other substances. Plaque adheres to the walls of your arteries. Atherosclerosis is the result of the buildup of plaque. This can cause narrowing or even blocking of your coronary arteries, resulting in coronary artery disease. Swimming is also known for maintaining a healthy dose of good cholesterol in our bodies. Several different forms of cholesterol exist in our bodies, and the imbalance between the two leads to problems such as cholesterol and heart disease. Also, Swimming makes sure that good and bad cholesterol levels in our bodies are in balance, preventing cardiovascular diseases.
5. Reduces the Risk of Asthma
Asthma symptoms are caused by inflammation and narrowing of the small airways in the lungs. These can include coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. According to World Health Organization (WHO), The most common chronic disease among children is asthma. Swimming has been proven to reduce asthma symptoms because it teaches proper breathing techniques. Asthmatics and people suffering from snoring and breathing problems did better after taking part in swimming since swimming increases lung capacity within the body and helps us learn to breathe easily while we are underwater. Swimming is a good cardio exercise that could benefit the lungs as well as the heart.
6. Helps to Reduce Obesity
According to the World Health Organization database, 1.9 billion adults worldwide were overweight in 2016, with 650 million obese and 39% of adults were overweight in 2016 and 13% were obese. As of 2019, 38.3 million children under 5 were overweight or obese. With such alarming data of obese persons around the world, it is important to consider incorporating swimming into one’s lifestyle as a method to reduce obesity. Swimming is considered to be one of the biggest calorie burners ever since it works to loosen you up while burning a lot of calories. In addition to helping you stay fit, swimming also helps you lose weight. In the process of swimming, the more intense and rigorous your swimming is, the more calories you burn and the more calories you lose.
7. Improved Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular diseases are the number one leading cause of death worldwide according to the World Health Organization (WHO). An estimated 31% of all deaths globally; 17.9 million people die each year from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The term cardiovascular disease refers to a range of disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and rheumatic heart disease. An estimated 4 out of 5 CVD deaths are caused by heart attacks or strokes, and about one-third occur in people under the age of 70. Swimming is a cardio exercise that can improve cardiovascular health. Since swimming makes the heart pump more effectively, it is known to be a cardiovascular exercise. Our heart is our body’s most vital organ, swimming facilitates stretching of the heart muscles, thus allowing the heart to pump more blood throughout our body and keep a proper blood flow within us. As swimming reduces inflammation, most swimmers are much less likely to suffer from heart diseases. With such, Swimming helps maintain a healthy blood flow system in our body and reduces blood pressure as a result of these benefits to the heart.
8. Flexibility
The purpose of flexibility exercises is to improve your joint’s ability to move when performing routine tasks or physical activities. During swimming, our body is exercised in a variety of ways, thereby extending the muscles throughout our body. With time, our muscles become more flexible and stretch themselves more, so swimming makes them more flexible. Swimming requires our bodies to be stretched out completely, and swimming regularly eases muscular tension, thereby promoting increased flexibility in our muscles.
9. Stronger and More Toned Muscles
Toned refers to the state of being lean (low body fat), having recognizable muscle shape and definition, but not being large. During swimming, you can exercise all the different muscle groups in your body as you are moving throughout your entire body. Consequently, the muscles become more toned and stronger. Swimming illustrates the ability to maintain fitness without needing gym memberships or other aerobic exercises like jogging, because these exercises focus only on your arms or legs, whereas swimming can create an overall toned body and increase your physical strength.
10. Exercise Every Muscle in your Body
A full-body workout will maximize your calorie burn while you’re trying to lose weight. Toning and defining your muscles with full-body strength workouts are an excellent way to add lean muscle mass. As you engage in swimming, you will realize that the process involves the movement and exercise of all your body muscles at the same time, including upper, lower, and middle body muscles. You exercise all your muscles in this way, so your reflexes in all parts of the bodywork, but you don’t actually have to do anything. The advantage of swimming is that it is a quick workout, requiring you to exert less energy compared to other sports or exercises.
Generally, being fit and healthy makes us feel good about ourselves. With swimming, we can achieve this if one can incorporate it while one's lifestyle; Through the company of family and friends, it can also be a fun activity as well as being healthy.
