The health benefits of swimming

[Veritas]

I swim actively for exercise. I cannot talk more highly of it. I have re-started a 1.5 - 2.0km training regime every second day. I use flippers, to give speed, help with kicking technique etc., but as a weight they also give a tremendous all over workout from the waist to the ankles.

I use paddles to improve swim stroke and to also give a good upper body workout. I also love the feeling of freedom being in the water. I also swim with a partner, usually. It is great to have a training buddy ... a good bonding exercise for both.

What's Good About Being a Swimmer
some of the health benefits of*swimming

By Mat Luebbers, About.com Guide
Updated November 11, 2012

Swimming is good exercise (that's obvious). Swimming is a lifetime sport that benefits the body and the whole person! But what is it that makes swimming good, specifically? That depends on what you are trying to accomplish as a swimmer.

Swimming is a healthy activity that can be continued for a lifetime. The health benefits swimming offers to a swimmer are worth the effort it takes to get to the swimming pool, get into your swimsuit, and then get into that pool and swim. If you do not know how to swim, taking swimming lessons or teaching yourself how to swim better are great ways to help you to enjoy fitness swimming.

Swimming works practically all of the muscles in the body (if you do a variety of strokes). Swimming can develop a swimmer's general strength, cardiovascular fitness and endurance. It does not help with bone density - you need to weight bearing exercise for that - but that is about all that is missing from what swimming could do for your fitness.

Why do you swim? For the health benefits to your heart and lungs? For the chance to be with some of your friends at the pool? Because, in your case, running every day hurts? Because you like the feeling of floating and sliding through the water? Or is it something else?If you are looking for a break from the heat of the summer, then a dip in the water is exactly what you need; swimming is a way for you to cool off. It fills a wonderful recreational need for individuals and families, from beach and pool fun to water parks.

Maybe you are a runner, training on a regular basis, and want to find an activity that keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off of your body. Perhaps you have been doing some other form of land exercise, and now an injury prevents you from putting weight on a knee or ankle. Swimming can help you. Kicking workouts, water aerobics, pool running, or a regular swimming workout can all give you a great exercise session without the weight of your body pounding you with each move.

Regular swimming builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness. It can serve as a cross-training element to your regular workouts. Before a dryland workout, you can use the pool for a warm-up session. Swimming with increasing effort to gradually increase your heart rate and stimulate your muscle activity is easily accomplished in the water. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cool-down, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water.

Spending time in a group workout, whether water aerobics or a master's swim practice, is a great social outlet. Exchanging stories, challenging each other, and sharing in the hard work make swimming with others a rewarding experience.

There are other psychological benefit to swimming, if you allow it to occur. Relax and swim with a very low effort. Let your mind wander, focusing on nothing but the rhythm of your stroke. This form of meditation can help you gain a feeling of well-being, leaving your water session refreshed and ready to go on with the rest of your day. Many swimmers find an in-direct benefit form swimming. They develop life skills such as sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal-setting, and an increased sense of self-worth through their participation in the sport. Swimmers seem to do better in school, in general terms, than non-swimmers as a group.

Swimming does burn calories at a rate of about 3 calories a mile per pound of bodyweight. If you weigh 150 lbs. and it takes you 30 minutes to swim one mile (1,760 yards or 1,609 meters), then you will be using about 900 calories in one hour. However, many swimmers do not swim that quickly, and many cannot swim for that distance or duration, so swimming to lose weight is not always the best plan. Swimming does exercise almost the entire body - heart, lungs, and muscles - with very little joint strain. It is great for general fitness, just not a great way to drop excess pounds.

And I didn't mention the neat things chlorine and sun can do for the texture and color of your hair...

Swim On!

['Abd Al-Maajid]

oh! the fear of drowning...

[~Zaria~]

TOOO! : ))
ALHAMDULILLAH

[Veritas]

How to swim yourself to fitness

Dive in for toned arms, a strong back and great aerobic fitness

Swimming is the unifying Aussie activity*– a sport practised by men and women of all ages all over the country. But how good exercise is it really? And is it a good exercise for weight loss?

A typical swimmer expends about 4 times as much energy*as a typical runner on the same distance. But while running 4km is something most can do, swimming 1km is nowhere near as easy. For a strong heart and toned muscles, don’t overlook the benefits of this great Aussie tradition.

Muscles versus technique

While professional swimmers have the bodies of Roman gods, it isn't primarily their muscles that make them champions. That is why swimming is such a great sport for the rest of us too*– it's almost all down to technique.

Hamid Mobarrez is the head swim coach at the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre. He has been a professional swimmer for many years, competing at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and several world championships. He believes swimming is 80% technique and 20% muscles. And he thinks anyone can learn to swim properly.

The main problem most swimmers have is they cannot swim well enough to make it efficient exercise. If your technique is so poor that you need a break after each length in the pool, you’ll never work your body hard enough.

Stroke correction

So to get the most from a session in the pool, it's all about improving and building confidence in your technique. That's where stroke correction comes in. Stroke correction classes basically teach you better swimming technique*– how to move your arms and legs, and how to decrease your resistance in the water.

"We have people who just started our stroke correction program last year soon move across to the squad training and by the end of the year they did the Coogee to Wedding Cake Island Challenge," Hamid says.

That is a 2.4km ocean race, by the way. Inexperienced swimmers, Hamid reckons, can increase their efficiency by 50% in only 12 weeks. That means turning a 1km swim into a 1.5km session.

"You only need enough power to move your body forwards in the water, and I believe 99% of people have that strength,” Hamid says.

Classes are available*at many swimming clubs. Check Swimming Australia's listing to find a club near you. And it's not just for young people*– Hamid says his most consistent swimmer is a 78 year old man.

Losing weight in the water

Traditionally, swimming has not been recommended for dieters because it is not a weight bearing sport. In theory, that means a lower calorie burn than in an activity like running, where you have to carry your own body.

However, a 2006 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness concluded that there is no difference in weight loss*when you compare land-based and water-based exercise. In the study, 38 obese women were put on a diet program and split into 1 of these 3 exercise groups:

Walking on land - Swimming - Walking in water
After 13 weeks, average weight loss was 5.9kg but there was no difference between the groups.

Does swimming make you hungry?

One common complaint is that swimming makes you hungry, so you end up ruining your exercise session by overeating afterwards.

If you tend to feel hungry after a swim session, make sure you have a snack 30-60 minutes before your session to keep your energy levels up. Afterwards, aim for high protein and fibre foods that have low GI carbohydrates.

Also, remember to stay hydrated during the session.

Great 'me time'

Biggest Loser Club member Tracey Gray has been swimming her whole life and exercises with a swimming squad every week. While she agrees that swimming isn't the best weight loss exercise, she thinks any sport that makes your heart race is good for you.

"I probably wouldn't recommend it as a primary weight loss exercise tool, mainly because I would think that, unless someone has a history of swimming, they would struggle to maintain stroke and intensity for the required time to burn sufficient calories.”

But it isn't just the exercise, or the social aspect of joining a squad, that makes swimming such a popular activity. There's something about just being in the water.

"Swimming is a great way to clear my head, I can think about absolutely anything, or absolutely nothing, it's fantastic 'me time'," Tracy says. "The black line of the pool offers some great solitary time if you need it".

Quick facts about swimming

Women expend up to 30% less energy than men because of their higher body fat. This means women use less energy staying afloat, making it a less efficient sport for them.
Much in the same way as yoga, the stretching and the rhythmic breathing in swimming releases endorphins which make you feel happy.
No other activity can work your cardiovascular system as hard as swimming without stressing your skeletal system. It’s the ideal sport if you have stiff joints or painful knees.
Swimming is a cross-training sport that balances both sides of your body, training whole groups of muscles at the same time.

Hey there! Looks like you're enjoying the discussion, but you're not signed up for an account.

When you create an account, you can participate in the discussions and share your thoughts. You also get notifications, here and via email, whenever new posts are made. And you can like posts and make new friends.
Sign Up

[Scimitar]

I can swim, only just... and Veritas is always telling to go and swim again, and I keep saying "I will"... well, I think it's time I did. 2013, I plan on swimming once a month just to start with... gonna have to make some time.

It sure is very beneficial for the body and mind :)

[Veritas]

I will take you when we meet up bro. How's that?

It is also very good for the skin. The chlorine clears away all blemishes ... you'll never see a swimmer with pimples let alone acne.

[Scimitar]

aat our ages, we gets neither... pimples, nor acne :D hehe, haw, hah! ahaha, AHAHAA MUWHAHAHAAAAAAA AAAAARGHGHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA !!!

ergh, yeh, sorry bout that... happens sometimes.

[Veritas]

I used to get them, even slightly the other side of 25 (:D) on my thighs ... I don't know why.

From swimming I get none. You'll never even see a young pubescent swimmer with bad pimples or acne ... the chlorine kills bacteria and skin oil is removed so one has blemish free skin.

[Veritas]

This is from a blog called myacnereview ... I can't post the link because I don't have enough posts.

Everyone knows that swimming is one of the most beneficial activities for anyone’s health in general. I have heard of studies showing that the only exercise more beneficial for overall health is running. The difference, however, is that swimming forces slower, deeper breathing and removes the physical strain on joints. In addition, people of all fitness levels can swim at effective paces due to the low impact on the body.

Now how is swimming particularly helpful in eliminating acne? It is a well-known fact that exercise in general promotes healthy skin. In addition to that, the deep breathing allows more oxygen to be processed and circulated by the body assisting in the removal of toxins and dead cells from the body and promoting the regeneration of cells. (see my next post for information on what everyone means when they speak about toxins).

Furthermore, because swimming requires the immersing the whole body (hence the entire skin surface) in water, it allows for the natural moisture absorption of the skin. Since you will most likely either be swimming in chlorinated pools or salt water, the disinfectant properties of the water will also be absorbed by the skin. And as you may or may not remember from a previous post, severe acne is the result of a susceptibility to infection.

In particular, painful pimples are acne blemishes that have become severely infected. Thus, swimming, more so in salt water than chlorinated, is extremely effective in disinfecting the skin and killing bacteria on the skin surface. Salt also dries the skin, limiting the production of sebum.

If you are not yet convinced then simply look at professional swimmers and surfers and notice whether or not they have acne. The results will speak for themselves.

Now I am not saying that this will cure your acne (as some swimmers have pointed out to me) but it will definitely help! And if you are already swimming and still have acne, it would be worse if you were not swimming.

[Veritas]

aat our ages, we gets neither... pimples, nor acne :D hehe, haw, hah! ahaha, AHAHAA MUWHAHAHAAAAAAA AAAAARGHGHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA !!!

ergh, yeh, sorry bout that... happens sometimes.

So does constipation bro ... hope the two aren't linked. ;D

[Musaafirah]

It's so difficult finding women only swim sessions.
The centre we have has limited times and unfortunately in the winter months, they fall during the Asr and Maghrib prayer times, so I can never go swimming in the winter.
How often must you go swimming to see the benefits of 'clearer' skin from the chlorine?

[Veritas]

Sorry I can't help you with women only sessions. You'd probably find during working hours Monday to Friday would be virtually women only in any event.

Re your skin, I have only re-started my regime last week. I have swam 4 x 1.5 km sessions in about one week. My skin already feels better ... you notice how clean it actually feels as all the oil you otherwise have on it has gone.

You'd notice a real difference I believe within 1 month, if you went twice a week.

[MBH101287]

I would reccomend checking with gyms in the area for gendered simming classes. I started swimming a while back when I moved down south and it was a bit warmer. It truly does make a difference in health. If something on you is hurting, it's likely to be a cure.

[Ahmed222]

Diving works practically all of the muscles in the body. Diving can develop a swimmer's general strength, cardiovascular health and health and fitness and stamina. It does not help with bone strength and density - you need to standing and walking exercise for that - but that is about all that is missing from what swimming could do for your health and health and fitness.