Swimming: A Full Body Exercise with Incredible Health Benefits

Full body exercise

Working out doesn’t mean that you have to compulsorily sweat out at gym. Swimming is a wonderful alternative to get fitter, stronger and healthier than ever. Being a whole-body workout, the health benefits of swimming are many.
Here are some swimming health benefits that establishes it as one of the best workout options available:
 
A full-body workout

Gym or weight training involves performing different activities to strengthen various parts of your body. Swimming, however, activates all the major muscle groups in your body simultaneously. By doing so, it provides all-round fitness result by improving cardiovascular health, muscle tone, flexibility, and even strength.
 
Promotes weight loss

Swimming helps burn more calories than most sports. A light swim can burn up to 500 calories an hour, while a moderate to heavy swim can burn 700-750 calories an hour. This makes it an excellent option for those trying to manage weight.
 
Muscle Toning

Swimming benefits almost all the major muscle groups in the following ways:

Arms - Swimming results in sculpted arms, since all strokes target the arms and shoulders.
Back - Swimming strengthens muscles supporting the spine. This offers protection from back problems while also giving you a robust and shapely back.
Core - Swimming engages the core like no other exercise, resulting in a slender waist.
Glutes - Glutes work with the hip muscles to help propel the body forward while swimming. Exercising them helps strengthen the lower body.
Legs - All major leg muscles: ankles, calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps are worked out while swimming, making them appear healthy and sculpted.
 

Strengthens cardiovascular system

Swimming increases the heart rate without giving much stress to your body, making it a great cardio alternative. Research suggests that swimming for at least half an hour for three days a week significantly lowers the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Swimming also helps check cholesterol levels and blood pressure, making it even more beneficial for your heart.
 
Improves respiratory health

Swimming heavily focuses on the breathing pattern, thus keeping the lungs in shape.
 
Enhances flexibility

While gym workouts focus on different body parts in isolation, swimming involves a wide range of movements that require a host of joints and muscles to work in tandem. This keeps them agile and flexible. Even the stiffest of bodies have been found to adapt to the fluid movements, developing commendable flexibility.
 
Low risk of injury

Due to buoyancy, there’s no stress on bones, tendons, and joints during swimming. As a result, the risk of injury is extremely low.
Thus, being a low-impact exercise, swimming is also safe for people with:

• Arthritis
• Injury
• Disability
• Other issues making strenuous activities difficult

Mental well-being

Swimming is extremely relaxing because it forces you to regulate your breathing. It also helps relieve stress and enhances your psychological well-being.
Now that you know how swimming helps, we hope you’re tempted to hit the pool soon and explore the numerous health benefits the full body exercise offers.