Swimming is an amazing workout that can be done year-round. Despite its reputation as being a low-impact activity, swimming actually burns a significant number of calories and offers numerous benefits to your general health.

While many people associate swimming primarily with training for swim meets or other athletic competitions, there are numerous other benefits to consider beyond performance. In fact, there are several reasons why swimming is one of the best types of exercise you can do.

From increasing your strength and endurance to improving your posture and balance, there are countless benefits of swimming that you may not have previously thought about. Check out these 8 incredible benefits of swimming that you probably never considered:

Calorie-Burning Machine

Swimming is one of the most effective forms of exercise for burning calories. Swimming at a moderate pace for 30 minutes will burn around 500 calories for a 150-pound person.

Swimming is often referred to as the “calorie-burning machine” because it is a low-impact exercise that burns a significant number of calories. While the exact number of calories burned while swimming depends on your weight, speed, and other variables, it can burn anywhere from 350 to 700 calories per hour.

Swimming at a moderate pace for 30 minutes will burn around 500 calories for a 150-pound person. This is about the equivalent of jogging for the same amount of time.

Strengthen Your Core & Muscles

Swimming is a full-body workout that promotes core strength and muscle growth throughout your body. It works your entire body, including your arms, legs, shoulders, back, and core.

This can help you improve your posture by strengthening the muscles around your midsection and spine. Swimming regularly can help you strengthen your core and posture. While the water provides slight support and buoyancy, you will still get a strengthening effect to your core. This is especially true if you swim with proper form and place extra emphasis on working your core muscles.

Promotes Good Posture

Swimming is a full-body workout that promotes good posture and core strengthening. This is especially true if you swim with proper form and place extra emphasis on working your core muscles.

With regular swimming, you can strengthen your posture over time and improve your overall appearance. With proper form and technique, swimming can help you engage your core muscles and improve your posture. This can also help improve your posture as you get older as your postural muscles naturally weaken over time.

Benefits Your Skin

Swimming can be beneficial to your skin in several different ways. First, it is a low-impact exercise and will not put any pressure or strain on your skin. This can help prevent the formation of wrinkles and can be especially useful for people with sensitive skin.

Water actually has healing properties. Swimming in water that is clean and has a neutral pH will leave your skin feeling smooth and hydrated. Regular swimming will also help prevent water-related skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. This is particularly helpful if you live in a climate where you experience a lot of dry, cold weather.

 

 

Swimming helps your breathing

Swimming regularly can improve your breathing capacity and lung capacity. This can be helpful for people who suffer from asthma or other conditions that affect their breathing.

For those who have asthma, swimming is almost always recommended as an exercise. It can strengthen your breathing muscles, increase lung capacity, and help you avoid having an asthma attack.

It is important to note, however, that swimming does put a small amount of stress on your heart. While it is less than other types of exercise, it is still important to monitor your heart rate and take breaks if needed.

Swimming can be a safer alternative to Running

If you’re an avid runner but are looking for a safer alternative, swimming can be a great option. Compared to running, swimming is a much lower-impact exercise. This is especially true if you are swimming with proper form.

While swimming can be just as effective for burning calories and building endurance as running, it puts significantly less strain on your joints and bones. Swimming is often recommended to individuals who have knee injuries or other joint problems that make running too painful.

It is also a great alternative for people who have a hard time finding time to go for a run in the first place as it can be done indoors or outdoors year-round.

 

Incorporate Strength Training

Swimming is a low-impact exercise that is great for cardio and endurance, but it is often overlooked as a strength training exercise. When you swim, you use a variety of different muscle groups and can actually put a significant amount of stress on your muscles.

This can help improve muscle tone and boost your metabolism. When you swim with proper form and technique, you can also use equipment like a weighted vest to put even more stress on your muscles and help improve your strength and endurance.

Improves flexibility

Swimming also offers a significant boost in flexibility, which can help prevent injury and keep your muscles and joints healthy and pain-free. The water provides support and light resistance, which can help improve your range of motion and flexibility. While swimming does not put as much pressure on your muscles as other types of exercise, it can still significantly improve your flexibility.

Deep Dive on Swimming

If you don’t swim, now is the time to get in the water. Among all the exercises, swimming provides the best all-around workout. It’s an aerobic sport that works your upper and lower body muscles, as well as your abdomen, while promoting good health and fitness. If you’re not sure how to get started, just remember these five words: breathe, relax, dolphin kick, follow through, and don’t forget your goggles!

Disclaimer: Body Health Outlet nor the author of this blog own the product reviewed above. Nor should the contents of this blog be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician before making changes in your diet plan. This blog should be used for informational purposes only.