Whether it’s running into the ocean during a hot summer day or doing lap indoors during the rest of the year, swimming is one of the best forms of exercise that you can do. It comes with a multitude of benefits, is safer compared to most other physical activities, and is great for all ages, from children all the way up to seniors. If you haven’t considered taking up swimming, now’s the time, especially since summer has now arrived. Read on for the top benefits for some inspiration!

Versatility

Swimming can be applied to all fitness levels and goals. Because of the low impact nature of it, your entire body is supported by the water and is free from the jostle and explosiveness of other activities like jumping and contact sports. This is great news for people dealing with injuries, as it can work both as a form of physical therapy and means to maintain physical fitness while taking the load off of the area(s) of injury. Swimming is also recommended for pregnancy, arthritis, MS, and disabilities like paraplegia. [1]
Because you know I like to cite the research, one study on patients with osteoarthritis shows that just three months of swimming helped to significantly reduce the pains and stiffness associated with their condition. [2] With MS (aka, multiple sclerosis), a 20-week study found similar results, with patients reporting enormous reductions in pain, along with improvements in fatigue, depression, and disability. [3] That’s more than likely due to the fact that swimming allows for a greater range of motion without pressurizing the joints. It also naturally provides the resistance that is needed to keep their muscles strong. Hence the reason why swimming, or water therapy, has been shown to greatly improve the quality of life in patients with MS. [4]

Total Body Benefits

Cycling focuses on the lower body, rowing the upper body, and free weights whatever area you center your focus on. Swimming, on the other hand, works the entirebody. It’s close to being a jack of all trades, demanding full body awareness and usage. You need to use your upper body, lower body, core, and breath in order to swim properly. All of this provides major conditioning and functional strength. Think of it like hybrid training wrapping cardio and resistance training all into one! Moreover, if you’re someone who’s averse to extremely demanding activities but still wants an effective workout, then swimming might be one of the better options out there. And outside of the pool, the benefits are further reaped.

First, there are your lungs, which are obviously worked and strengthened thanks to the endurance aspect of swimming. In fact, there’s even a bit of research to show that overall lung capacity and function are superior in swimmers compared to runners. [5] People with asthma may actually benefit from incorporating swimming into their exercise regimen since it enables them to gain better control of their breath. (The only caveat is to be aware of how your body responds to the chloramines from chlorine. If it triggers your asthma even further, then consider reducing swim times or work with your doctor to find a better alternative. Otherwise, the risks of chlorine exposure in people with asthma are, at the moment, relatively low and far outweighed by the benefits.) [6]

Science is also quite fond of swimming when it comes to longevity. Research shows that it helps to lower blood pressure, manage blood sugar imbalances, and even reduces the risk of developing chronic disease (this is straight from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- aka, the CDC). [7]
To really hit the message home, there’s also research that shows that engaging in aquatic-based exercise (aka, swimming) cuts the risk of death in half compared to people that remain inactive. [8] Just like with walking, one of the easiest “gateways” (as well as mainstays) into fitness is swimming! Beginners will love it since it helps them to ease into regular movement and work at their own pace. You further ignite the vital connections to your body, understanding how it works, how it feels when exercising, and the aftereffects it experiences from doing regular exercise.

Now, I haven’t forgotten about my fitness veterans. Outside of your normal fitness routine (whether it’s in my ZGYM or outside at the gym), doing just a little bit of swimming can provide a huge investment for your workout performance. It’s a great form of active recovery, helping to increase circulation, mobility, a bit of flexibility, and even some improvements in posture. On top of your regular workouts, swimming can serve as yet another way of staying active while having a bit of fun. You can stick to swimming laps or just moving around casually at your own speed. There are even exercise classes that take place in the pool, which are not only great for fitness but also socializing. If you’re lucky to have access to a pool at home or at a friend’s, there’s no denying the fun that can be had when doing things like water polo and other games. I’d call that ‘active fun’! Even without a pool, you can still enjoy the water by going out to the beach, lake, or river. With the former, there’s water skiing, paddle boarding (and paddleboard yoga), boogie-boarding, and surfing, each of which has its own set of benefits.

By the way, if fitness or active living is the furthest thing from your mind, don’t leave me just yet. We all know the impacts of stress. It makes us feel horrible both inside and out. Exercise is one of the last things we’d want to when stressed. Well, guess what- it turns out that even a casual swim can benefit your mental health. There’s a couple of studies I want to share to validate this point.

In patients with dementia, doing a 12-week swimming program had positive impacts on their mood. The cherry on top? Swimming also helped to improve (or rather, reduce the symptoms of) their dementia. (By the way, the patients that were used in this study were experiencing anywhere from moderate to severe forms of it!) [9]

Now, onto mental health. Depression and stress from modern day living can also be eased with casually swimming. A study based out of Taiwan performed a small survey on 101 members of a community fitness center and found that 44 reported feeling mildly depressed and anxious due to their modern lifestyle. After swimming regularly at their community fitness center, the number of stressed, depressed reports had been reduced to only 8. Obviously, this is a very small study with plenty of room for error. But it’s still noteworthy and definitely warrants further research into the benefits of swimming and exercise towards mental health. [10]

All in all, swimming is a wonderful addition to your lifestyle. Given these facts, is it any wonder that exercise is more than just looking good? Tell me in the comments if you’re a swimmer or are thinking about swimming more frequently especially now that summer is here!

Sources:

[1] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321496.php
[2] http://www.jrheum.org/content/43/3/666.short
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138085/
[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3093029/
[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23029972
[6] https://www.healthline.com/health-news/swimming-for-children-with-asthma#3
[7] https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/swimmers/health_benefits_water_exercise.html
[8] Chase NL, Sui X, Blair SN. 2008. Swimming and all-cause mortality risk compared with running, walking, and sedentary habits in men. Int J of Aquatic Res and Educ. 2(3):213-23
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24521103
[10] http://www.kheljournal.com/archives/2015/vol1issue5/PartB/Sports-1-5-44-428.pdf