While many of us imagine swimming as a leisurely, vacation activity, there are many benefits to taking up swimming as a form of fitness.
Reduced Diabetes Risk
One of the most sought after benefits of swimming can be the ability it holds to lower risk of developing diabetes. Generally, when it comes to lowering the chances of diabetes, there are few tactics that can be as effective as aerobics exercises to do the magic. Just 30 minutes of swimming breast stroke style, can help you burn as many as 900 calories, lowering the risk of contracting diabetes by a whopping 10 percent! Furthermore, if you already suffer from type 1 diabetes, the benefits of swimming can approach you still as swimming has the impact of increasing insulin sensitivity. The American Diabetes Association suggests diabetics to indulge in 150 minutes of exercises such as swimming for fitness, over a period of at least three days a week, to help with glycemic control.
Improves Cholesterol Levels
We all know in order to strike the perfect balance of cholesterol in the body, we must have the right levels of good cholesterol and the right levels of bad cholesterol. This is where the benefits of swimming creep in. The aerobic power of swimming has proven to be very effective in maintaining this balance and keeping HDL levels high. Furthermore, aerobic exercises help arteries expand and contract, keeping them fit and aiding maintenance of cholesterol, further adding to the advantages of swimming.
Releases Happy Hormones
Another benefit of swimming is that it can be treated just as well as the next best happy pill! One of the best side effects of swimming is its ability to release endorphins or feel-good-hormones. This natural high evoked in us by swimming can further be strengthened by the relaxing effect swimming brings upon the body, much like that of yoga! The deep rhythmic breathing coupled with the constant stretching and relaxing of muscles is great with regulating moods and relaxing the body. Furthermore, dipping more on the scientific end, swimming has been proven to alter the brain through a process known as hippocampal neurogenesis, which aims at helping the brain replace cells that are destroyed because of stress.
Improves Asthma
Recent research conducted on swimming has shown for it to work wonders with asthma. One of the greatest benefits of swimming is that it is a workout carried out in the company of moist air which can lower the frequency and intensity of asthma symptoms induced by exercise. A particular study conducted on swimming involving children associated improvements in symptoms of asthma such as snoring, mouth breathing and emergency room visits thanks to swimming! Furthermore, swimming has the impact of increasing lung volume and incorporating breathing techniques in swimmers, which can once again be of great help with asthma!
Effective Weight Loss Results
Yet another benefit of swimming is that it is a great accessory to lose weight, as this workout is among the top calorie burning workouts to exist! The amount of calories you end up burning with swimming primarily depends on the intensity of the workout and your physiology. However, as a general estimation, a breast stroke is said to help burn 60 calories in a span of ten minutes, backstroke 80 calories, freestyle 100 calories and the butterfly stroke winning the race with an impressively whopping 150 calories every 10 minutes!
Promotes Cardiovascular Health
Swimming is wonderful at toning all the muscles in our body, including the triceps, biceps, quads and most essentially the heart. Swimming makes the blood flow in the body more efficient, as being an aerobic exercise it aims at facilitating heart health by strengthening the heart, making it larger and better at pumping. Furthermore, the American Heart Association reports for only 30 minutes of swimming to lower the risk of coronary heart diseases by a 30-40% in women! Also, swimming for fitness has the impact of reducing blood pressure, making it contribute more towards heart health.
Increases Flexibility
One benefit of swimming that supersedes those of gymming is that it involves the entire body in one single workout. Swimming requires the body to undergo an array of motions which enhance the body’s flexibility and loosen it up. The constant stretching and relaxing of muscles via different strokes help loosen the muscles up giving an overall boost to flexibility throughout the muscles of the body!
Good For Arthritis Patients, Overweight Individuals, Joint Issues
Another benefit of swimming that makes the workout fit for a king is its ability to tone the entire body head to toe, without having any adverse impacts on the skeletal system. In fact, swimming can help the skeletal system in a number of ways! Being mostly submerged in the water, swimming makes the body feel 90% lighter than its actual weight, making it an ideal workout space for overweight individuals, arthritis or osteoporosis sufferers or people with sore joints and stiff muscles.