Swimming is the fourth most popular form of exercise in the United States with over 27 million participants over six years with lifeguard certification near me.
But there are also many barriers to participating in swimming. For example, many people do not learn to swim until later in life, and some may experience discomfort or even fear of the water because it is an unknown environment.
Despite these obstacles, swimming offers a number of unique health benefits. Some people describe the feeling of immersing themselves in water as transformative or healing – and many enjoy the anti-gravity aspect by floating.
There are also many documented health benefits associated with swimming that can inspire you to develop your own program of pool or open water exercise.
Participating in any physical activity – especially on a regular basis – can provide a wide range of health benefits. Regular exercise improves heart health, can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight, reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and can even reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Exercise can also help you experience sharper thinking, learning and judgment as you get older, reduce your risk of depression and may even promote better sleep.
And just a single round of exercise can provide immediate benefits, including reduced short-term anxiety.
Researchers have studied the many ways in which participation in different types of swimming can affect the body. However, it is important to note that, like any physical activity, there are significant differences between the levels of participation.
For example, lifelong competitive swimmers may experience other health benefits than those who swim for fun just a few times a month. These are some of the results regarding the health benefits of swimming.
Swimming can help you reduce body fat. A small study published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation found that middle-aged women who swam regularly (60-minute sessions, three times a week for 12 weeks) showed an average decrease in body fat of almost 3%, while a control group (women who did not swim) did not show any significant change. The swimmers also showed improved flexibility, cardiovascular endurance and improved blood lipids.
However, another study examined changes in body composition in younger women who participated in a 12-week swimming program. The study involved 34 women in their early 20s who were assigned to a swimming group or a non-swimming (sedentary) group. The swimming group participated in three 60-minute swimming sessions per week for 12 weeks.
At the end of the study, the researchers found that the swimming group experienced a decrease in hip circumference, but did not show significant changes in body composition compared to the non-swimming group.
Finally, in 2015, researchers evaluated the psychological, social, and physical health conditions of competitive swimmers involved in long-term training. The survey took place over the course of four days of the French Masters Championships in 2011. All swimmers selected for the event were invited to participate in the survey, but only 490 participated.
A handful of studies have suggested that swimming can help lower blood pressure. One study involved women who had been diagnosed with mild hypertension. Researchers evaluated the effects of different swimming protocols on their blood pressure.
For the study, 62 women were randomly assigned to participate in high-intensity swimming (6-10 repetitions of 30-second all-out effort interrupted by 2 minutes of recovery), moderate swimming (one hour at moderate intensity), or a control group (no training). or lifestyle changes).
After 15 weeks, the researchers saw no changes in the control group. However, both the high-intensity and moderate-swimming groups experienced a decrease in systolic blood pressure. Both groups also decreased resting heart rate and body fat.
Several other studies have also found associations between swimming for exercise and lower blood pressure, especially in people with hypertension.
Exercise physiologists have noticed that many popular sports and leisure activities require a certain level of technique and may involve shocks to the ground, leading to bruising, contusion, bone fractures and more serious injuries. This can make the high risk of injury a point of weakness for many traditional sports and athletic activities.
However, in at least one published review, researchers point out that the likelihood of these types of injuries occurring in a low-load swimming environment is minimized given that weight is reduced by the use of water buoyancy.