The Five Simple Benefits to Swimming That You Need to Know About

With all the sports activities you could try, swimming seems to be less popular than other activities, and that surprises us. Not only is it suitable for all ages, but swimming is really easy to get into and far cheaper than many sports, too. 

 

You need little investment or equipment to get swimming, and the chances are you have a public pool available to you nearby. 

 

Our therapist Kimberley is a keen swimmer and has been since she started swimming lessons as a 3-year-old. For her, it’s a fantastic full body workout, without necessarily realising it at the time. 

 

Result! 

 

Not only is swimming a fun activity that helps to maintain levels of fitness, there are other benefits, too. Here are five benefits of swimming to give you some motivation to go for a splash in the pool: 

 

 

One of the biggest benefits of swimming is that it truly works your entire body, inside and out. Swimming increases your heart rate, improving cardiovascular endurance with very little stress exerted to the body. It also increases much of your muscle tone whilst building strength. 

 

 

Four of the most popular strokes are breaststroke; backstroke; butterfly and freestyle (front crawl). Each stroke focuses on different muscle groups, whilst the water provides resistance. You will always engage the majority of muscle groups of the body during each stroke. 

 

 

Due to the reduced amount of stress that swimming exerts on your body, swimming can be used to help reduce levels of pain or even help to improve your recovery from an injury. Having said that, you should always consult your doctor and/or massage/sports therapist before taking part in swimming if you are not 100% physically well. 

 

 

For many children, the thought of exercising for an hour a day can feel like a chore, however 

 

splashing around in the water is a great way for them to keep active without even realising they are doing so. The great thing about swimming is it can be both structured or unstructured. You can introduce floats and splashing or kicking exercises for even more fun. 

 

 

Nowadays, many activities come with a large price tag. Swimming is often a pay-as-you-go activity, with many leisure centres often offering a ‘family swim’ discount. 

 

Swimming is a great all over body workout and really good for losing weight, toning up, or for those looking for a low impact, fun, and accessible sport. As massage therapists we also know it’s great for your muscles and a really good rehab sport to get you back into your sport if you’ve been out due to injury. 

 

We hope this has got you tempted to dive on in!