Swimming: The Miracle No Pain, High Gain Exercise

It’s that time of year when children are out of school, the days are long, people are grilling, picnics are happening, parks are full, beaches are crowded and everything seems to be just a little bit more special. It’s “summertime and the living is easy.” Well, at least we hope so. Everyone will experience some or all of the following: a strong ‘summer wind’, or for that matter maybe even a ‘summer breeze’ blowing through the jasmine in your mind. It might be ‘a lazy, hazy, crazy day of summer’ or just a ‘hot town, summer in the city’. There are certain to be ‘hot summer days’ and ‘long hot summer nights’.

All of this extra sunlight will certainly keep us warm and it provides us with an opportunity to stay cool while staying fit. How, you ask? Swimming. Yes, swimming. The super duper, miracle fat-burning, muscle-building, cardio-strengthening, blood pressure-lowering, non-pain-inducing exercise. Swimming.
Here are some common benefits associated with submerging oneself into a pool of H2O.

• Cardio Fitness: Swimming is classified as an aerobic exercise because even in short increments of just a few laps, it can prove to be physically challenging. Swimming helps reduce one’s blood pressure and it lowers the chances of having a stroke. Spending time in the pool strengthens muscles including your heart. A stronger heart allows the body to circulate more blood and delivers more oxygen to it. Swimming often reduces the probability of contracting cardiovascular disease, diabetes and some cancers.

• Muscle strength: Water is denser than air so it requires more effort to move through it. This, combined with the fact that swimming requires several of the body’s muscle groups to work in unison during the exercise (for example, your arms and legs), is the perfect recipe for increased muscle strength and more defined muscle tone.

• Flexibility: Good stretching habits combined with swimming can greatly increase a person’s flexibility. The natural movements associated with swimming cause the muscles to stretch and lengthen rather than bulk up. The result is a leaner, more toned flexible physique.

• Low Impact: The buoyancy of water takes pressure away from, and prevents excessive stress to, any of the body’s muscles, joints or bones. Water buoyancy acts like a protective shield around the body. When swimming, there are no violent jolts, jerks or pounding motions for the body to absorb. Swimming is one of the most injury-free methods of exercise.

• Physical Therapy: Water-based physical therapy is an incredibly effective way to treat injuries and ailments. It’s extremely effective in helping to regain movement and flexibility after injuries or surgeries. The buoyancy of water enables easy movement by those that otherwise might have trouble with any sort of movement, such as a person suffering from neck and or back pain. Water has proven to be an effective way of treating and helping individuals that suffer from sports injuries, arthritis, fibromyalgia, joint replacement recovery and neurological problems. Water therapy improves circulation, reduces swelling, and increases strength and endurance. Since water provides a natural cushion, it reduces the chances of further injury while at the same time protecting joints from becoming overloaded.  

• Weight Loss Aid: Thirty minutes of normal swimming can burn 260 calories. Blood circulation and the metabolism can be further accelerated if the water temperature is lower. This acceleration in the metabolism continues even after exiting the water which allows the fatty reserves to be reached faster than usual, thus allowing the body to burn more fat and help you lose weight.

• Reduces Stress: Swimming allows a greater amount of oxygen to flow into the muscles than being outside of the pool. The O2 increase can be attributed to the regulated nature of our breathing during the exercise. Swimming also acts as a natural massage agent for muscles and it helps to relieve stress. It’s quite similar to the calming nature of a nice bath. Perhaps it’s recollection of the womb, but being immersed in water simply makes us feel good.

• Community Activity: Swimming is a great way to spend time with family and friends. With the summer upon us, there are many different locations in which to swim and several fun activities that you and all of your loved ones can participate in.

So there you have it. An all-in-one workout that is perfect for this time of year. In reality, any season is a good one to get into shape and to live healthier. However, there is something different about summer that makes us more aware of our health than during other seasons. We don’t have any “get into shape for your winter overcoat” campaigns, but we are all encouraged to get into shape for summer.

The summer always goes by quickly. So avoid ‘those summertime blues’ and use this opportunity to do some good for yourself. Once it’s over, do you want to look back and say “it’s a cruel, cruel summer now you’re gone?” Or would you rather remember all of that ‘hot fun in the summertime’ that you had while getting into shape?