There’s nothing like diving into a pool of cool, refreshing water after a long hot day. Swimming is incredibly fun, and people of all ages can try it out.
But there’s more to swimming than just being a recreational pastime during summer vacations or beach outings. In fact, the benefits of swimming and taking swimming lessons have significant health and life-saving impacts.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be the next Michael Phelps or Joseph Schooling to take up swimming.
You don’t need to rack up those highly-coveted Olympic gold medals — anyone can take up swimming and occasionally add it to their exercise regimen, even outside a professional setting.
If lifting weights and running for miles sound daunting, then a low-impact sport like swimming can appeal to you.
Without further ado, let’s dive (no pun intended) into the benefits of swimming!
Similar to other types of aerobic exercise, swimming can facilitate the proper functioning of your cardiovascular system.
A routine swimming exercise works up your heart and lungs, effectively training the body to use oxygen more efficiently. As you swim, you’re also moving different limbs and muscle groups which can help improve strength and flexibility.
There has also been research linking swimming training to improvements in blood pressure, hypertension, and other indicators of cardiovascular health.
The study concluded that those who frequently took up swimming had reduced arterial stiffness and blood pressure while increasing aerobic capacity and strength in women with stage 2 hypertension.
Other heart-related health benefits of swimming include a decreased likelihood of developing age-related circulation problems and a decline in muscle strength and capacity.
2. Swimming Can Improve Mental Health
Aside from its physical benefits, swimming also positively impacts mood regulation.
People who experience fibromyalgia, a chronic disorder causing exhaustion., pain and tenderness throughout the body, can engage in a short swimming exercise to improve their anxiety.
As a low-impact water-based exercise, swimming has also been linked to decreasing depression, anxiety, and stress levels.
A study in 2019 concluded that eight weeks of swimming significantly decreased total mood disturbance. The participants were college students who experienced moderate anxiety and stress.
Swimming has also been found to increase oxygen, glucose, and nutrient supply in the brain, facilitating endorphin release.
3. Swimming Teaches Basic Life-Saving Skills
Aside from being a great stepping stone to increasing fitness levels, swimming is beneficial to children because it teaches them basic life-saving skills.
Should kids find themselves in a life-threatening situation involving falling into large bodies of water or getting swept away by sea currents, swimming can help get them to safety and prevent drowning.
4. Swimming Aids In Weight Loss
Did you know swimming is one of the best ways to trim belly fat? Swimming burns calories, not just because it’s a physical activity. There’s a bit of deeper science behind it.
Compared to running, swimming is better as a cardiovascular exercise because of the higher resistance present in water than in air.
Water resistance is much higher in water, allowing you to burn more calories than running at the same distance on land.
Swimming is a full-body workout, engaging your arms, shoulders, chest, legs, feet, and back. This leads to more burned calories than other aerobic exercises.
To add some perspective, think about this: 10 minutes of doing the butterfly swimming stroke will help you burn 150 calories. Compare this to running a 2 km marathon, which burns around 100 calories.
Therefore, a consistent 30-minute butterfly speed session can help you burn 150 more calories than running a 5K marathon in the same period.
5. Swimming Can Help People Living With Asthma
For people suffering from asthma, swimming can help alleviate symptoms such as difficulty breathing, fast heart rate, dizziness, or exhaustion.
For instance, those who experience physical activity-induced asthma experience these symptoms due to the contraction of their bronchial tubes. This occurs when the surrounding air is cold and dry.
Swimming can be a great aquatic exercise, as the moisture from the water replaces the moisture released during breathing.
The surrounding warm and humid air elicits a response in the airways, causing lung capacity and volume to increase. Patients are also taught breathing techniques which increase their respiratory muscles over time.
6. Swimming Teaches Confidence
Ever wondered why parents get their kids into swimming early on in life? It’s because they believe that swimming builds confidence and self-esteem.
According to a study from Griffith University in Australia, children exposed to swimming early on had higher self-esteem levels than their non-swimming peers.
The same notion also applies to competitive and non-competitive adult swimmers. Swimming is a confidence-building sport helping adults and children improve their self-perception, in or outside the pool.
7. Swimming Develops Team-Building Skills
While it is often thought to be an individual sport, swimmers tend to have excellent team-building skills.
For example, participating in swimming classes encourages children and adult swimmers to work together. This helps them gain life skills useful in their personal and professional lives, such as strategy development, communication, coordination, goal orientation, etc.
8. Swimming Improves Flexibility
As mentioned, swimming is the perfect sport for people of all ages. Seniors can also make swimming a part of their workout routine, as it is a low-impact sport.
Our cells are naturally programmed to divide. But this continuous process also causes our cells to age, making us prone to cellular damage. This explains why the elderly have more brittle bones, putting them at a higher risk for injuries.
While we can’t fight the passage of time, swimming is beneficial for seniors, as it helps retain their flexibility, even amidst weakening bones and an ageing body.
Combined with regular exercise, swimming helps alleviate joint pain by keeping the joints supple and ensuring muscle flexibility.
9. Swimming Contributes To An Active Lifestyle
Singapore’s The New Paper reports that according to a national study, Singaporeans are becoming less active. This was reflected in the increased instances of chronic illnesses, like high blood pressure, which affects more than 30% of the population.
The study also found that only a few Singaporeans could meet the daily recommended physical activity requirements.
A national decline in physical activity can be worrisome, but sports like swimming can help eliminate such sedentary habits.
You don’t even need to start with gruelling, Olympic-level swim sessions. Take small steps, like swimming for 15-20 minutes three days a week, then build it up to 30-minute sessions.
It’s a form of exercise that encourages you to slowly ease into a more active lifestyle without feeling overwhelmed.
Conclusion About The Benefits Of Swimming
People who want to start living actively often forget one of the most underrated forms of exercise: swimming.
The exercise trend nowadays leans into weightlifting, yoga, running, or high-intensity workout training (HIITT). These aren’t necessarily appealing for those with too many personal commitments in life — they may not have the time to engage in vigorous exercise.
Fortunately, swimming offers a fun and engaging alternative. Some of the health benefits of swimming regularly include better mental health, reduced muscle pain, and more calories burned — the list is endless.
You’re never too young or too old to swim. You’ll undoubtedly experience an improvement in several, if not all, aspects of your life.
Want to learn how to swim? JustSwim offers private swimming lessons in Singapore in Woodlands, Punggol, Serangoon, Bedok, Pasir Ris, Yishun, Sengkang, and many more!
Sign up now and get your first trial swimming lesson! Contact our swim instructors in Singapore for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Benefits Of Swimming
What Are The Mental Health Benefits Of Swimming?
Like all forms of exercise, swimming facilitates the release of endorphins or feel-good hormones in the brain. It brings feelings of positivity, well-being, and overall happiness.
Can Swimming Increase Muscle Mass?
Yes. As a full-body exercise, swimming helps build muscle mass, giving swimmers a more athletic figure than weight training.
Can Swimming Improve Heart Disease?
Yes. Blood flow facilitates nutrient absorption in our body. And swimming aids in this process, as it promotes circulation, improves cardiac efficiency, and lowers the risk of developing a stroke or heart disease.
Is Swimming A Good Aerobic Workout?
Yes. Swimming is an excellent aerobic exercise for people suffering from various types of arthritis. It helps reduce the load on the joints, promotes flexibility, and decreases the risk of sustaining injuries.
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