The benefits of swimming for your health are endless – so why aren’t you in the water already? By Claire Muffett-Reece
“The perfect form of exercise for all ages, water is around 800 times denser than air, meaning your body has to work harder to move through it”
“Besides swimming being a great form of exercise for your body, it’s also a fantastic way of boosting your mental wellbeing”
“This form of exercise is ideal for anyone who suffers from obesity and wants to lose weight, again due to it being a non-weight bearing form of exercise”
“Water walking is a fantastic aqua exercise you can do to keep you fit and active – you simply walk at waist or shoulder height, depending on how comfortable you feel, swinging your arms along as you would while power walking on land”
Facts/stats
Over four million Brits go swimming at least twice a month, making it one of the most popular forms of physical activity in the UK
(Our Sporting Life)
DID YOU KNOW?
You’ll burn an average of 200 calories for 30 minutes swimming breaststroke
(www.swimming.org)
DID YOU KNOW?
Swimming on a regular basis can reduce blood pressure, increase muscle mass, improve oxygen and blood flow to the brain
(Swimming World)
There’s nothing like the feeling of stepping into a pool or wading in the sea for a swim – it’s as if you can literally feel life’s stresses and strains slipping away! The perfect form of exercise for all ages, water is around 800 times denser than air, meaning your body has to work harder to move through it. Look at it this way: 30 minutes of swimming is worth 45 minutes of the same activity on land, meaning there’s now never a better time to find out how and why you’ve got to get active in the water…
Swimming is good for your mind
Besides swimming being a great form of exercise for your body, it’s also a fantastic way of boosting your mental wellbeing. Why? For a start, it releases those feel-good endorphins we all benefit from after any sort of workout, increasing positivity and making you feel more content in the process – while studies have also shown it boosts blood flow to the brain, vital for better brain health. Then there’s the way it works to relieve anxiety and everyday stress levels, with swimming leading to a 30% improvement in self-worth! In fact, a study of 4,000 swimmers saw 68% felt happier in themselves after being in the water.
Swimming is good for your joints
Suffering from arthritis, back or knee pain or general muscle aches and grumbles? Get your swimming cossie or trunks on! Swimming is the perfect low-impact form of exercise due to around 90% of your body being supported by the water, with the weightless environment helping you make movements that would otherwise be painful in normal situations. What’s more, studies have shown that swimming in a heated pool – one that’s typically 82 to 88 degrees – reduces pain, allowing your muscles to relax and helping you exercise in the pool further still.
Swimming is good for chronic conditions
Besides arthritis and joint pain, heading down to your local pool for a dip can also be advisable to help improve many other health complaints. Asthma sufferers for one can benefit from a relaxing swim, with recent research showing it can improve lung function, reduce symptoms, and improve overall self-confidence to boot. A study also revealed that post-menopausal women have seen an improvement in their bone health by being in the water, while people who suffer from hypertension – high blood pressure – should also head down to their local pool, with a regular dip around three times a week lowering blood pressure by reducing hardening or stiffening of the blood vessels, known to be a primary factor that drives the increase in blood pressure as you age.
Swimming is good for preventing disease
It’s a shocking fact to read that heart and circulatory diseases cause a quarter of all deaths in the UK – that’s more than 160,000 deaths each year. Again, getting in the pool is a great prevention tool, with a study showing that 30 minutes of swimming a day can reduce coronary heart disease in women by 30 to 40 percent. It’s great for sufferers of diabetes, too, as it can help manage blood sugar levels in type 2 and gestational diabetes, while you can also maintain a healthy weight and prevent obesity-related issues by combining a healthy diet with swimming. In fact, this form of exercise is ideal for anyone who suffers from obesity and wants to lose weight, again due to it being a non-weight bearing form of exercise. Plus, in addition to swimming burning those calories and using excess fat for energy, the water provides resistance which helps you build lean muscle tissue. This means that the more muscle tissue you have the more calories you can consume – and the more efficiently you’ll burn off fat.
FIVE TOP TIPS FOR SAFE AND EFFECTIVE SWIMMING
1 Stick to what you know
Lockdown saw a huge surge in the number of people choosing to swim in open water due to pools shutting up and down the country, however, choosing the sea, a river or lake to take a dip in should always be approached with real caution. For a start, there’s the temperature of the water you choose to swim in, so bear this in mind and invest in a wetsuit if you do decide to swim somewhere colder than a regular pool. Some
people enjoy open water swimming but this is for experienced and
competent swimmers. Wherever you swim – in open water or a pool
– it should not be taken without keeping safety in mind. Swim between the red and yellow flags on the beach which indicate safe areas that are monitored, and check tide times before entering. It’s also a good idea to wear a bright coloured hat and take a float with you for additional buoyancy, to ensure you’re more easily spottable from the shore.
2 Ensure you’ve got the right gear
Besides a good float and swimming cap, there are a number of other products that will help when it comes to swimming both during and after you’ve entered the water. Regular chlorine exposure can irritate both your hair and scalp, so rinse your hair before and after swimming, and head to your local pharmacy to stock up on clarifying shampoo and a good conditioner, even choosing a leave-in spray conditioner to spritz on your hair before entering the pool for extra protection from its harsh chemicals. Goggles are also another tool to consider, with prescription lenses readily available so you can see clearly underwater if you wear glasses – and don’t forget your towel, flip flops and some loose coins for the changing room locker.
3 Preparation is key
Ready to take the plunge (apologies for the pun!) and become a regular at your local pool? Make sure you’re well prepared and understand the importance of warming up! Experts recommend you swim gently for around five to 10 minutes first off to relax your muscles in preparation for your routine, and remember to regulate your breathing, too, which will teach you to breathe faster, deeper, and therefore more efficiently. If you have a health issue, it is also worth chatting to your GP before you take on regular swimming, and do make the lifeguard on duty aware of any conditions you might have that could cause problems in the water, such as epilepsy, should you have a seizure while swimming.
4 Think outside the box
Who says you have to solely enter the water and just do lengths for half an hour? There are so many other ways you can enjoy your local pool to benefit your body and mind! Water walking is a fantastic aqua exercise you can do to keep you fit and active – you simply walk at waist or shoulder height, depending on how comfortable you feel, swinging your arms along as you would while power walking on land. Alternatively, look online for any classes such as aqua aerobics that are available, so you can socialise with friends or family while being coached by a trained professional.
5 Eat well for a better swim
Last, but by no means least, is the importance of making sure your body is properly fuelled in preparation for a good swim. Pre-pool, enjoy a slow-release energy meal or snack such as porridge oats, wholegrain bread, pasta or sweet potatoes, making sure you wait at least an hour afterwards before taking a dip. Post-pool, lean white meat, brown rice, semi-skimmed milk and fresh fruit and vegetables are all recommended, to replenish energy and nutrient levels within an hour of leaving the pool.
