Healthytalk8 Swimming is one of the best aerobic exercises that offer many health benefits on both mental and physical health.
It’s benefits depend on water state (cold and hot water), cold water is excellent in quick recovery, and warm water dilute blood vessels.
Swimming in cold water seems to have a positive effect on insulin metabolism.
Top 12 Benefits of Swimming
Contents
Here are given 12 benefits of swimming, which is research-based are:
Great For Asthma Patients
Asthma is a condition where the airway becomes narrow and swelling, which makes it a person difficult inbreathe.
Swimming training can decrease in the severity of bronchoconstriction (1) (defined as the narrowing of the airways in the lungs)
During a 5 month study, some asthma school kids are added to the swimming training program (2)
Results shown significant reduction in children who continued to swim regularly, compared to those who did not continue.
However, some research also believes that chemical that is used in the swimming pool can increase the risk of asthma or make the symptoms worse.
Excellent During Pregnancy
Yes, it is excellent during pregnancy, where water density acts as a supporter to belly to lift up, which is really helpful.
Swimming is considered one of the safest exercises for pregnant women (3).
NOTE: Avoid water jumping, skiing, diving, and scuba diving. In these, pregnant women are at an increased risk of injury.
Tips to prevent the risk
- Avoid warm water swimming during pregnancy
- Stop swimming, if you feel too hot, nauseous, pain, bleeding, and vaginal discharge
- Avoid jumping, and diving
- If do not know how to swim, then take someone with you, or stay in shallow water.
Women can use the bath, shower, and pool of water in labor pain, and any discomfort because it acts as pain relief.
Check Out – Mistakes That Pregnant Women Should Avoid
Improve mood
During swimming body releases endorphin (a pain reliever) and after having an activity you feel that you are in a better mood.
Several studies have suggested that cold water swimming can improve mood disorders (4).
One study involved swimming in cold water, where 24 year-old women who are suffering from depression and anxiety were involved.
This resulted in an immediate improvement in mood after swimming and a steady and gradual reduction in symptoms of depression (5)
A 12-week study of aquatic program, were involved people with dementia, results showed mood improved (6)
Strengthening Core muscles
Numerous reports have shown that swimming is excellent exercise programs as core muscle-strengthening exercises (7) (8).
An 8-week core training program is run to measure the performance in front crawl swimming by female athletes.
Results showed that these groups significantly improved their performance in the 50-meter front crawl time trial (9).
Promote a better life quality
The report also found evidence that swimmers live longer and regular swimming helps older people stay mentally and physically fit (10)
Lower high blood pressure
High BP occurs when the blood circulation starts going up and down very fast, which causes high Blood pressure, or hypertension.
The ideal blood pressure is always best measured at rest. the ideal blood pressure is 120/80.
Swimming in cold water has been shown to have a positive effect on cardiovascular health risk factors such as blood lipids and blood pressure (11).
Meta-analysis supports aerobic exercise like swimming prevent and treat the hypertension (12) (13).
Other studies, found that blood pressure and heart rate are increased during swimming, especially in the older (14).
A 10-month study of aerobic training showed an impressive effect on the resting blood pressure in a person with hypertension (15)
Improve Heart Health
Yes, swimming can improve heart health, by preventing heart diseases, stroke, but how?
In general, maintaining regular exercise can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease including stroke, heart disease, and high BP.
It is considered that regular swimming is an effective for improving the physical strength, and blood lipids (16) of middle-aged women.
However, some studies suggest that swimming exercise was not be related to the degree of change in blood lipid and lipoprotein levels (17).
In addition, diet is as important as exercise, so make sure to eat healthy food, and reduce the intake of cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Check Out – Heart Attack: Symptoms, Reason, At Young Age
Burns Massive calories
A relaxed swim burns around 500 calories, while a tough one burns up to 700 calories an hour, Tom Holland says.
So while swimming, you do not only burn calories but also build lean muscles (18).
However, another report showed that walking and cycling are effective methods of reducing body fat, but swimming is not (19)
As you increase your performance your heart rate and blood pressure also increased, which overall helps in weight loss.
There are also some other exercises that are excellent for burning calories which include:
- Resistance exercise, where person lift weight, like bench press, squats, weightlifting
- Aerobic exercises like running, cycling, brisk walking, etc
Excellent in back pain
Lower back pain is most commonly seen illness around the world, followed by upper pain, and middle back pain.
Aquatic exercise can significantly reduce pain and increase physical movement in patients with lower back pain (20)
However, less evidence are support that aquatic exercise was potentially beneficial to patients with low back pain.
There is some other natural ways to treat back pain which includes:
- Massage
- Cycling
- Stretch exercise include yoga asanas,
- Acupuncture
- Hot and cold therapy
- Take enough rest, if pain in mild
- Diet
- prescription medicines
Check Out – Is Walking Relieves Back Pain?
Improve sleep quality
Swimming is an effective treatment to improve sleep quality, mood, and quality of life in older adults with chronic insomnia (21).
Chronic sleep deprivation has been shown to increase the health risk, and more accident risk, especially while driving (22).
Reports suggest that exercise can improve sleep quality without adverse effects, however, some studies are still pending (23).
In addition, swimming timing also matter, where doing exercise before sleep makes it harder to fall asleep, compare to morning exercise.
Check Out – Food And Drink To Have For Soundly Sleeping
Good for Bone Related Issues
Of course, swimming is excellent for bone related disorder individuals, because it is very low impact exercise.
Which also reduce the risk falling down, and improve your recovery from injury.
After menopause, a women should try this exercises, while swimming there is no pressure on the bones, which also reduce injury risk.
Regular swimming are ideal exercise for patients with arthritis, as well as allied with reducing joint pain and stiffness (24).
Diet include vitamin C, D, and Calcium (Bone is made up of fiber and to retain the fiber we requires calcium) is vital for physical activity.
Check – Ways To Maintain Your Bone Health
Reduce stress Level
Stress is one of the common mental issues, due to which everyone is struggling today.
Stress release cortisol which trigger inflammation (25). And swimming is effective in reducing inflammation, and cortisol levels (26).
Research where rats are included, shown that swimming could reduce depressive-like behaviors in rats during pregnancy (27) (28).
SOD (superoxide dismutase) is an antioxidant enzyme, which is very important to fight against oxidative stress in the body.
Swimming can also reduce the stress in the joints, as well as increase overall physical strength.
Risks
Swimming is ideal for all peoples, and considered safest exercises.
NOTE: Its risk depend water state. and the most significant risk of swimming in cold water which are hypothermia (31) (32) (33).
Hypothermia is condition where the body loses heat faster than normal.
People with skin condition, first talk to your doctor, because pool chemical may interact with your skin surface, and make the symptoms worse.
Safety Tips
1. Never swim alone, see if there must be someone near you.
2. If do not know how to swim, then take someone with you, with safety instrument or stay in shallow water.
3. Don’t play breath-holding games, that which many kids do.
4. Always wear a Life vest
5. Be aware, while swimming in sea, especially with child or old people, because large waves can more powerful than you might think.
6. Swimming does not mean that you should not drink water, so make sure drink enough water, to prevent dehydration.
7. Take more precaution or supervision with child.
Down Line
Swimming is one of the best aerobic exercise that comes with several health benefits include good in pregnancy, joints, etc.
If you have skin conditions then talk to the doctor first it may interact with your skin conditions.
Swimming is considered best for pregnant women because water act as a lifter.
