While relaxing by the pool with a good book and an ice cold lemonade in hand, you are sure to get rid of any exalted stress, in fact in the water is the real health enhancer. And summer is not the only time to take advantage. In fact, beating an indoor facility in the colder months can leave you with a more intense full-body workout than some of your favorite stores with lifeguard class near me.
In recent years, more people have captured the many benefits of spending time in the water. There are now training courses where you can live your mermaid dreams (tail and all!) Or hold a full-on dance party to hip-hop music underwater, and even ballerinas benefit from the pool for weak sweating sessions. So why does everyone seem to be flocking to the water? When it comes to the benefits of swimming, there are plenty. Ready to dive in? Here are seven benefits of swimming to take advantage of year-round.
1. Swimming can help with joint pain
If all that jumping around in bootcamp classes or logging miles on your runners has resulted in some joint pain, swimming could be the solution. Not only does water give you some relief by reducing the amount of pressure on your body (buoyancy is a beautiful thing), but the hot water also plays a role, helping to banish the stiffness or discomfort you experience. Basically, you get a low-impact, super-soothing workout that is incredibly gentle on your body.
2. You can improve your mental health by taking a swim
Swimming is not only great for the body – its effects also extend to the mind. A study published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills found college students who participated in swimming lessons regularly experienced better moods than those who did not. Whether you have a Thursday and need a pick-up or go through a hard time in life, you can go over to the pool and do some laps, you can improve your mental health.
Swimming can make you a better runner
If you are trying to improve your running skills, it may be time to hit the pool. In a study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports , researchers found those who practiced controlled breathing while swimming significantly improved their game. The technique enabled them to use their oxygen more efficiently, which helped them run faster and not get tired so quickly. And the craziest part? It only took 12 training sessions by the pool to see results.
Swimmers tend to live longer
If you want to live as long as possible, swimming seems to be the way to go. In a study of 80,300 participants published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine , researchers looked at the types of exercise that had the ability to reduce the risk of mortality of all causes the most. While cycling reduced risk by 15 percent, and running showed no significant changes, swimming reduced risk by 28 percent.
5. Swimming can strengthen your lungs
During other types of exercise-like running or cycling – your breathing tends to be low. However, this is not the case when you swim and the contact can do a lot of good to strengthen your lungs – especially with all the time you spend underwater. You breathe in quickly and deeply, and then let the air seep out. Because your head is underwater when you swim, these breathing adjustments are important and they can improve the strength of your breathing muscles, says David Tanner, Ph.D. Time . This type of breathing keeps the lung alveoli – the millions of tiny balloon-like structures that inflate and deflate when your breath – collapses and sticks together.