Benefits of swimming for health

How Is Swimming Good For Health?

One of the best ways to stay fit is participating in a sport. There are various such sports that help to keep the body as well as the mind fit. One such sport is swimming. It has a lot of physical and mental health benefits. One can easily keep exercising via swimming for their entire lifetime.  Now, you might be wondering, what are the reasons why it is being considered extremely well for health? The reasons are not one, but many in number. Once you follow this article carefully, you will know why is swimming extremely good for health, and how does one keep swimming? While swimming, you need to move your whole body against the resistance of water. Below are listed a number of reasons about how is swimming good for health.

Why should One Consider Swimming?

• For competitive purposes – A lot of people concentrate on swimming mainly for competitive purposes.  They want to race with people, experience a lot of thrill, and have fun. This is known as competitive-swimming. The strokes that are mainly associated with this type of swimming are butter stroke, butterfly and freestyle.  There are different places to host such competitions. You can have such a competition in a pool. You can even have it in a larger source of water, be it a lake or a pond or even a river. Larger the source of water, more is the distance that you need to swim. For example, the distance to swim in a pool maybe 50m, but the same distance will be 100 m once you are in a pond or a lake.
• To while away time and release stress – As mentioned in the beginning itself, swimming is an exceptional mode of releasing one’s mental tension and stress.  It is a type of working out, although the impact is a little lower. However, you can experience serenity if you try swimming alone in a pond or a pool[1].  Also, this helps to increase the fitness level. As it stands, swimming is taken as a rich sporting culture in countries like Australia, New Zealand and the likes. Strokes like backstroke and sidestrokes should be exercised completely if you are trying out swimming for recreational purposes.

What Are The Various Benefits Of Swimming.

Swimming is such an exercise or a sport, whatever you call it, which has a wide range of benefits. The plethora of physical benefits that swimming offers is listed below-

1. it is extremely important for maintaining cardiovascular fitness. It increases the tolerance level in everyone’s body those who try it out.
2. It helps to maintain a healthy and faster rate of lungs. As the researchers suggest, swimming may even reduce the risk of death. Those who don’t keep themselves active by some exercise or the other on a regular basis have double the risk of death compared to swimmers[2].
3. It is an extremely useful tool in toning of muscles. Along with increasing the muscular strength, it helps a lot in increasing the immunity of the body. It makes the muscles of the body less stiffer and more flexible at the same time.
4. It increases the metabolism of the body, and at the same time energizes the body.
5. It is a very useful method of reduction of weight. As we all know once the calories are burnt, the body weight reduces. The lungs are kept fit. Hence, it is very essential to keep swimming. A study shows that a 160-pound person if swims at a moderate pace can burn upto 423 calories per hour. A 200-pound person swimming the same lap rate will burn upto 900 calories an hour. A 240-pound person might burn around 1000 calories inside water. Whereas, taking into account other exercises, the amount of calories burnt is comparatively lesser[3]. For example, a 160-point person would burn only around 320 calories walking for an hour. Hence, the chances of weight loss are more in swimming than any other work out exercise.
6. People with injuries, arthritis and other health problems can use swimming as a mode of exercise. It is extremely safe for them. If you are suffering from any kind of physical difficulty or rather, any disability, you can easily resort to swimming. It helps in reducing the pain from your body. A scientific study reported that people suffering from osteoarthritis experienced reduction in joint pain after resorting to swimming.
7. People who suffer from asthma can consult swimming. If you manage to learn how to consistently hold your breath under water, you can expand your lung capacity. At the same time, you can learn how to breath for a little longer than expected once you experience suffocation.
8. Helps people suffering from multiple sclerosis. People who are suffering from multiple sclerosis also find swimming useful.  Here, the theory of buoyancy as proposed by the scientist Archimedes comes into play.  Once you are swimming on a water body, your limbs will become buoyant, helping you to apply your stroke against water.
9. It also leads to the release of depression, fatigue and anxiety.
10. If you are experiencing lack of sleep at night, that is insomnia, nothing can help you better than swimming.

What Are The Rules That You Need To Follow

once you are in the water, you must follow the pool rules. There is a list of to do’s that you must ensure while swimming.  Below listed are the rules that you need to follow while you are in water for swim.

1. There are various types of lane in a swimming-pool. Namely slow, medium and fast. You need to ask the lifeguard that which is your lane. That is, you need to get yourself informed about the lane that will suit you the most.
2. If you have to pass someone coming straight at you, you must make sure that you do that by stroking by that person’s left-hand side[4].
3. Do not waste your time in the pool doing useless activities like scratching another member in the pool. Always maintain decorum even inside the pool. It is better to cut your nails regularly to reduce the probability of scratching while applying strokes even by mistake. Never irritate other members inside the pool.
4. Most importantly, keep the water of the pond or lake or pool clean. Don’t resort to stuff like urinating in the water or spitting in the water. It is not only uncultured, at the same time it is also unhygienic.

what Are The Risks Associated with swimming.

Like every other mode of workout, swimming too comes with a few risks. If you want to swim, you must be aware of these risks.

1. If you are injured, be sure to consult a physician before swimming.  Also, before starting a new mode of workout, it is always recommended that you consult a physician[5].
2. People who have skin disorders might feel itching in their bodies. The irritation for those people due to the presence of chlorine in the water is extremely high. Hence, it is strictly not recommended for such people to use the water of the pool[6].

What Are The Cautions To Be Maintained While Swimming

1. Always ask the lifeguard about the lane that you are going to take. Swim in areas that are specifically under the supervision of lifeguards.
2. If you are new to the sport, it is better you join a swimming coaching club at first[7]. Get yourself groomed among trainers, then slowly raise your level. Don’t try out alone if you are experienced. There is a huge probability of drowning or losing breath inside water.
3. Wear swimming glasses. This is recommended because otherwise chlorinated water might get inside your eyes. If it does, you will experience an unbearable burning sensation in your eyes.
4. It is recommended that you apply sunscreen before stepping in the pool to protect your skin. Avoid swimming between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm.
5. Drink water, even if you are not thirsty. Drink lots and lots of water to avoid or rather minimize the risks of dehydration of swimming.
6. Avoid drinking alcohol. For swimmers, it is strictly recommended that they don’t consume alcohol. Avoid using caffeinated drinks like coffee as well. It is unadvisable in the same way.
7. Children should never step down into water alone. They have a huge, huge risk of drowning.

Hence, on reading the article you must be concluding quite well that swimming is generally safe for all people. This includes pregnant ladies. But for that, you need to follow certain rules and maintain decorum. It releases stress and has a positive effect on your mind, body and soul. Don’t forget to drink lots and lots of water. Swimming laps at 30 minutes for a particular pace is always very essential. Lastly, you will experience a lot of thrill. Once you become completely used to it, you can participate in competitions too. Have fun, enjoy and maintain safety. Happy swimming!