Swimming is an activity that people of all ages can do. It has many health benefits and it is great for your body as well as your mind.  If you don’t swim regularly, maybe this article will convince you to hop in the pool more often!

So what are some of the benefits of making swimming a habit?

It Can Reduce Stress

Like other exercises, swimming can reduce your stress. It can help you keep your mind off of things that could be stressing you. When you exercise, your body reduces the stress hormones and releases endorphins. Endorphins are natural “feel-good” chemicals that help boost your mood. If you’re feeling stressed, go for a swim and you will feel better by the time you get out.

It Works Out Your Entire Body

Swimming works out your entire body. It may seem like your arms and legs do most of the work but that is not the case. Swimming can strengthen your core, tone muscles, build strength and endurance, and also increase your heart rate. When swimming you will feel a burn in your body in as little as 20 minutes. There are many different strokes you could do. Each of these strokes focuses on different muscle groups. These strokes include breaststroke, backstroke, sidestroke, butterfly, and more.

It Has a Lower Impact on Your Joints

Most workouts are either high intensity and hard on your joints or low intensity and easy on your joints. Swimming has a lower impact than other cardio exercises. This is because water holds you up and will reduce the stress and the impact on your joints. Since you are being held up by the water, your chances of injury are reduced.

Tips for Practicing Swimming

• Don’t Waste Your Breath

You may end up inhaling water if you gasp for air every time your head reaches the surface. Instead, you should exhale all the air from your lungs before taking another breath. Beginners usually need to take a breath more often but as you build endurance, you’ll be able to control your breath much better. When taking a breath, make sure to alternate sides. This will reduce the strain on your neck and shoulders.

• Keep Practicing

When you watch professional swimmers swim, you may think that they make it look easy and relaxed. This is because they have been practicing for a very long time and still continue practicing. In order to improve your swimming skills, it is important to keep practicing.

• Get Feedback

Receiving and listening to feedback is a good way to know what you are great at doing and what you need to work on. If you can, try to get a coach or a friend to watch you swim and later give you feedback. Another option is to record yourself swimming. The next time you swim, make sure to keep the feedback in mind.

If you’re looking for a low-impact, stress-reducing workout for your entire body, then go hit the pool!

Resources

Bean, Matt. “Seven Steps To Better Swimming Technique.” Runner’s World. https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/training/triathlon/a764520/seven-steps-to-better-swimming-technique/.

Berry, Jennifer. “Endorphins: Effects and how to increase levels.” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320839.

House, Lydia and Morgan Fargo. “12 major benefits of swimming that’ll convince you to take it up, from better sleep to weight loss.” Women’sHealth. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/g27268961/benefits-of-swimming/.

Marcin, Ashley. “What Are the Top 12 Benefits of Swimming?” Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-swimming#get-started.

Petty, Amber. “13 Reasons to Just Keep Swimming.” Greatist. https://greatist.com/health/benefits-of-swimming.

Poirier-Leroy, Olivier. “Swimming Tips: The 7 Fundamentals of Faster Swimming.” YourSwimBook. https://www.yourswimlog.com/swimming-tips/.