Last Updated on 18th August 2021 by Charlie Walsh
That’s enough to put anyone of cardio training for life, right? What if we told you there was a safer, more enjoyable alternative. One that many argue will have more health benefits than any run in the park. You would be interested wouldn’t you?
Swimming is a fantastic alternative to running. Many people prefer swimming as you at working out your whole body, but as you are in the water, this form of training can actually be better for you as it can go easier on your joints and there is less risk involved overall.
Here are the top 8 benefits of swimming
1. The most obvious advantage of swimming is…drum roll please…burning calories!
Generally, people connect running with burning calories and whenever they want to burn calories and get rid of for instance that winter weight you put on they go and run. The fact is, that swimming can be an even a better way to burn calories, and gives you at least the same or even better results with less effort, sounds good right? Everything depends on the stroke you swim.
The stroke that can burn the most calories is called the butterfly stroke (almost 150 calories in 10 min). It’s your decision how fast you choose to swim. Another advantage of swimming is the water resistance. Water resistance is stronger than the wind resistance while running. When you choose running, the resistance is unpredictable. The swimming resistance is higher so you can burn more calories in 10 minutes than whilst running. What is more important, you do not sweat!
2. Swimming is good also for your inner health
What are the physical benefits of swimming?
-keeps your heart rate up
-burns calories
-builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
-tones muscles and builds strength
During a swimming session, your muscles workout a lot, as does your heart. Swimming makes your heart and lungs stronger and durable. It means that people who swim regularly tend to live longer. So swimming can reduce blood pressure and help you live a longer, happier life.
3. Do you sleep well?
Here we have another great advantage of swimming. Swimming helps you with falling asleep quicker and sleeping deeper at night. Sleep is extremely important to overall health, to find out more about this click here.
4. Swimming is accessible
Swimming is accessible to people who are older and/or deal with physical issues that make other exercises like running less accessible. Swimming is a good choice for older people looking to improve their health and for those who suffer from medical complaints like arthritis, osteoarthritis, and other conditions like injuries or disabilities. Swimming also is known for reducing pain and can make your body’s recovery even quicker.
5. Boost your mood
Swimming makes you feel better and happier. Swimming and aquatic based workouts help not only physically but also psychologically. Swimming is a very good option for people who suffer from depression and anxiety. Additionally, swimming is the best option for those who are stressed at work and in general, have a stressful life.
6. Total Body Workout!
While running makes heavy use of lower part of your body, swimming gets your upper body involved! Your knees are not as tired and as exploited as you will experience from running. So, if you are asking us: What is better for me – swimming or running? Well, if you feel that running causes pain in your joints then swimming is clearly the best option for you. To be honest, both swimming and running are valuable. But swimming is the best choice when you want to take care of your heart, mental and physical health, swimming involves your whole body so will provide the best results. Trust me, cardiovascular health is one of the most essential things to look after, but as we get older, we need to protect our joints too.
7. Competition!
Everybody needs a little competition in their lives! It is not about winning, but yes, you guessed it – the taking part! It is about socialising and spending time with each other. Swimming is a social activity and also a physical exercise as we all know. Every single pool provides lessons or competitions and events for swimmers! You can socialise, spend time with friends, have fun, exercise all at the same time! Socialising is the part of being human.
It makes us happier and feel more involved in community life. The thing is that the swimming pool is a place for you and also your family. Swimming is a very good option when you don’t have time but still want to spend some quality family time together actively.
8. Easy
Swimming is known as a one of the best low-impact exercises. It means that you can burn your calories while minimising the stress placed on your joints. Cardiovascular exercise (it means that it’s an exercise that involves increasing your heart rate and all round hard work!) gets not only your heart rate up but also makes your lungs work out. Remember, that the minimum amount of time spent swimming should be around 30 minutes. Try to swim for about half an hour, 4 times a week (or build up to this level) then once you are feeling comfortable at this level of fitness, push harder and spend more time swimming.
Your heart will feel stronger and your circulation will improve as you get fitter. Additionally, swimming is the best option for pregnant women and people who suffer from obesity. Why? Pregnancy: because you do not put your body under too much stress and moving in the water creates a stronger resistance than running. For those who suffer from obesity, a swimming pool is great because they can start their journey towards weight loss without damaging their joints.
