Swimming is a physical activity that has countless benefits, in this text we have decided to present the most important ones – those that can completely change the quality of your life, but also significantly extend it.
Improves bone density and strengthens muscle tone
If your dream is a spindly body and shaped and firm muscular musculature of swimmers, swimming is the ideal activity for you. In this blog, we will reveal to you how swimming can positively affect your body, your general health and state of the body, individual organs, but also mental health.
This is one of the most effective aerobic activities that activates the whole body – the muscles of the legs, arms, back, abs, and as a result, the body becomes more flexible and stronger. The whole body is in the water, every muscle resists the water, and the bones and ligaments do not bear the load, which is a win-win situation. Swimming has a very beneficial effect on the articular-muscular system. This also applies to people who have an existing condition or ailments, such as arthritis, problems with the lumbar part of the spine, injuries of the musculoskeletal system and the like.
Half an hour of swimming is equal to an hour of physical activity on dry land. Swimming increases the mobility and elasticity of the joints, and numerous studies have proven that
swimming contributes to bone density in women in the period after menopause, thus protecting against osteoporosis and other diseases of the bone system. Swimming is, in addition to everything listed, an excellent activity for those who have suffered an injury, because it significantly speeds up recovery.
It relieves stress, strengthens the immune system and has a positive effect on mood
Swimming is an activity that significantly reduces stress and sadness, and has a very positive effect on sleep, thus strengthening the defense mechanisms of our body. Swimming has a meditative effect, similar to what can be felt in yoga or guided meditation classes. While swimming, you are focused on your own breathing rhythm, while listening to the sound of the water, which has additional relaxing properties. Swimming helps you breathe more deeply, which reduces the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, and automatically calms the whole body. When swimming, the happy hormone – endorphin – is released.
In addition, regular swimming improves cognitive abilities, affects better memory and improves mental functions.
If you feel that you are at the threshold of endurance, that accumulated stress is catching up with you or that your immune system is compromised – swim! Your body will thank you and you will feel a big change very quickly.
Helps with weight loss, increases energy
Swimming is also known as an undisputed calorie burner – in half an hour of light swimming you can burn as many as 200 calories, which is twice as much as you would burn by walking, and if you swim vigorously, you will burn more than by running or riding a bike.
In 10 minutes of swimming, you will burn: breaststroke – 60 calories, back crawl – 80 calories, freestyle or breast crawl – 100 calories, and butterfly style – 150 calories. It’s not a little!
Swimming is the best guardian of the cardiovascular system
Swimming strengthens the muscles of the chest, but it also strengthens the most important muscle of the body – the heart. It stimulates its work and blood pumping function, thus contributing to the health of blood vessels and reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. The American Heart Association says that 30 minutes of swimming a day can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 30-40 percent.
It reduces the risk of diabetes
In addition to numerous beneficial properties for health, swimming can have a significant effect on the prevention of diabetes, but also on the regulation of blood sugar levels in the case of an already existing disease. Scientists have proven that swimming for 30 minutes just once a week can significantly reduce the risk of stroke, heart attack, and type 2 diabetes. Swimming also has a very favorable effect on the regulation of high blood pressure.
Increases lung capacity
Thanks to the humidity of the air, swimming alleviates the symptoms of asthma, symptoms of seasonal allergies, as well as bronchitis. Swimming increases lung capacity and can bring significant relief and improvement to people suffering from some form of obstructive lung disease.
Swimming is the elixir of youth
We all already know that movement and any physical activity is good for our body, but swimming is undisputedly above everything else. Scientists have found that regular swimming practice can increase life expectancy. Research conducted among more than 40,000 men aged 20 to 90 over a 32-year period showed that those who swam regularly had a 50 percent higher chance of living longer than those who ran or walked.
We hope that in this text we have given you enough strong and convincing reasons why you should include swimming among your activities, and if you want to swim in a perfectly safe, clean, soothing and almost completely private environment, Downtown Wellness is the right place for you.