The Benefits of Swimming for Fitness

Swimming is one of those exercises that's hard to hate, since it’s gentle and yet fun at the same time. Most people enjoy a dip in the pool, so why not turn that dip into some laps as a form of exercise? There are many fitness benefits that one can get from swimming.

Let’s check them out! 

Swimming is Great Cardio

Swimming requires a lot of energy and burns tons of calories thanks to the fact that, when you swim, you need to move your whole body instead of just your legs or your arms. You’re also doing all of that with the added water resistance.

Swimming works your body and heart the same way any cardio workout. So, if you take up swimming for your fitness, you will work your heart and boost your metabolism at the same time. To get the most out of swimming, it’s best to do interval training where you do high intensity sprint swimming alternated with easier moves. This way you’ll push your body hard but will be able to do so for a longer period. Try half of a lap at top speed and then slow down for the other half. Repeat until tired!

Swimming is Great for Strength Training

Not only is swimming good for a cardio workout, swimming challenges the muscles all over your body and is excellent for increasing overall body strength. The water resistance you face while swimming forces your muscles to work harder - just like traditional forms of strength training. You’ll be able to gain some muscle and tone up your body at the same time.

Swimming is also commonly used as therapy to strengthen injured muscles in athletes, since the water resistance provides a good workout without giving stress to the injured body parts. That means you can feel good about a nearly impact-free workout if you have joint or pain issues. 

Swimming is Great for Everybody!

The great thing about swimming is that everybody can do it and enjoy it. It's suitable for every age group and fitness level; you can decide how hard to push yourself when you swim.