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Health Benefits of Swimming

Get in the pool - whatever your age, shape or size!

The health benefits of swimming for all of us are huge, whatever our age, shape or size. Swimming just once a week can positively impact both physically and mentally.
Research has proven over the years that the all-over-body workout given by swimming has significant benefits for your mind, body and well-being.

Top 10 Health Benefits of Swimming

Swimming Improves Mental Health

The impact that swimming has on mental health is enormous. Regular swimming can boost mood, promote relaxation, reduce anxiety and alleviate depression.

On top of that, it enhances sleep. Regular swimmers often report improved quality of sleep. All of this boosts immunity, so a regular swim can strengthen the immune system, which is highly beneficial to all areas of health and well-being.

Swimming Increases Heart and Lung Fitness

Do you get out of breath doing standard everyday stuff? Regular swimming, once or twice a week, will help improve your stamina and overall fitness by getting your heart and lungs to work. Do not be put off by the words work or exercise because swimming can be gentle and low-intensity and still does amazing things for your cardiovascular system, especially if you're not used to it.

Click here for more details about why swimming is the best exercise.

To get the most from your swimming, click here and check out some swimming workouts.

Swimming Increases Strength

We need muscular strength for everyday activities, from walking around to getting up off the couch! Swimming increases the strength and tone of our muscles, no matter what age we are. A half-hour swim a couple of times a week, you will see the health benefits of swimming in your toned muscles and feel stronger. Having active muscles will increase your metabolism, which will help you lose weight if that is one of your health goals.

Swimming Can Change Your Body Shape

Exercise, in general, gives us all that feel-good factor. Swimming, however, really has a positive effect on overall body shape. Regular swimming burns fat (the wobbly stuff under your skin, in case you didn't know!), and when that reduces. The muscles under the fat become toned, resulting in a fitter and more satisfying body shape.

Swimming Is Great For Injury Rehabilitation

Regular swimming can have positive effects on injuries. The impact-free nature of swimming allows muscles and joints to work and exercise under stress-free conditions, promoting the healing and rehabilitation of muscle pulls and joint strains. Injury rehab is one of the most significant health benefits of swimming.

Swimming Is Perfect For Weight Loss

Like any other form of exercise, swimming burns plenty of calories. Because swimming is an all-over body workout - in other words, your whole body is continually moving as you swim - the net amount of calories is usually more extensive than that of other common forms of exercise. How? Swimming uses just about every muscle in your body. The more muscles that get worked out, the higher your metabolism goes. The result: you burn significant amounts of calories, causing your body to shed fat like you never thought possible.

For more details about swimming and weight loss and burning more calories when you swim, click here.

Swimming Relieves Stress and Tension

There is nothing like escaping the stresses and tensions of life at the end of the working day. Whatever your job, be it a high-powered company director or a busy parent at home, you need time out to unwind and relax. Swimming offers the chance to escape, relax and chill out. Let your mind wander away whilst you cruise up and down the pool at your own pace. And you get all the health and fitness benefits thrown in for good measure. Just what the doctor ordered!

For more details about relaxing as you swim, click here.

Got a Back Problem?

Are you one of millions with a back problem? A lower back problem is more than likely as this is the most common one. The zero-impact nature of swimming allows your lower back and surrounding joints to move freely without the impact of the ground and your body weight pressing through them constantly. It might not be a miracle cure, but gentle, impact-free swimming movements will all help, guaranteed! The health benefits of swimming at work once again.

Swimming During Pregnancy

It is well-known that swimming while pregnant is safe and very beneficial to you and your unborn baby. The zero-impact nature of swimming means no impact on your most load-bearing joints like the hips and knees. There are also no sudden jolting or bouncing movements to unsettle the baby. So, if you are pregnant, talk to your doctor or physician, and they will likely say you can swim all you like!

For more details about swimming during pregnancy, click here.

Swimming Can Aid Recovery After Surgery

It is essential to consult your doctor about swimming following an operation, as some people may have to wait a few weeks or months to avoid infection. Nonetheless, when the body is ready to be immersed in the water once gained, swimming can help exercise the many major muscle groups, speeding up the recovery process.

Take the Plunge and Get Healthy!

It is time to take your health seriously and give it the best boost possible. Take full advantage of all the health benefits of swimming by taking the plunge today.

My book 'The Complete Beginners Guide to Swimming' will take the non-swimmer by the hand and support you with each stroke.

You can already swim? This book will give you the tips and techniques to get the best out of your swimming and elevate your health and fitness to new heights.

Click below to download your copy today, or click here for more details.

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I am wondering if it is too late to learn to swim? 'It’s never too late to learn to swim! Depending on how comfortable or uncomfortable you are in the water will depend on where you start.'

I recently started swimming to overcome asthma. Is there a stroke that will help my lungs and help me swim better? 'When it comes to asthma and your lungs, swimming is one of the best forms of exercise to help because of the nature of the breathing technique.'

I am resuming swimming after back surgery, and I need to get the kicking going. 'Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise and rehabilitation for back surgery, and front crawl is one of the safest strokes.'

I want to use swimming to work out my chest and stomach. 'I presume you are asking this question because you feel you are not getting the best from your swimming workout or not seeing the desired results.'

I want to swim to lose weight. How can it help me? 'Swimming is an excellent form of exercise! If you are a non-swimmer, I recommend you contact your local swimming school and enrol in some lessons.'

I badly need to know how to improve my swimming stamina. 'The short answer to your question is practice, practice, practice. Like any fitness routine, the more you do it, the fitter you get, and swimming is no different.'

Will I lose weight swimming breaststroke? 'I want to start swimming for weight loss, and the most enjoyable style for me is the breaststroke.'

I would like to get back into swimming to get back into shape. 'Swimming is the perfect way of getting back into shape and one of the safest for someone with arthritis.'

I am 58 years old and planning to learn to swim to help my diabetes. 'Learning to swim will help your diabetes by giving your whole body a good level of exercise to help burn some calories.'

I enjoy swimming but weight loss is too slow. 'The biggest mistake people make when it comes to weight loss is that they get stuck in the same routine, and I think this is what has happened to you.'

I never had the opportunity to learn to swim. 'It is never too late to learn to swim! As for where to start, that all depends on how comfortable or uncomfortable you are in the water and in a swimming pool environment.'

I swim twice a week, but I never seem as fast as everybody else. How can I get the most out of swimming? 'Comparing your speed to other swimmers and realising you are slower does not necessarily mean you are not getting the most out of it.'

I always use breaststroke, but I understand crawl is better for my lower back. 'Front crawl is not the only swimming stroke that will take pressure away from your lower back. In fact, there are a few ways of swimming that will help complement your breaststroke.'

How should I enter a pool where the water is sometimes chilly and warm? 'Walking quickly into chilly water causes the heart and circulatory system to react suddenly to the change in temperature.'

Is it possible to reduce my weight by swimming? I am learning to swim, so please help me reduce my weight and increase my stamina. 'The short answer is an absolute yes! Swimming is one of the best ways of reducing weight, increasing stamina and generally improving fitness.'

I am wondering, is swimming good for your knees? Lately, I have been having bad, weak knees. 'Much depends on which swimming stroke you choose to swim and what problems you may have with your knees if any.'

I have a friend who had not been in the water for ten years. He was badly out-of-shape and as unfit as he could be, yet, despite all this, after 10 years of no exercise, he was effortlessly able to swim 1000 meters, on the first day back in the pool. How can this be? 'There are a few explanations for this, and without knowing more details, it's tricky to say which one fits best. It may be a combination of each of them.'

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"Hello, I'm Mark Young, creator of Swim Teach.

I've been teaching swimming for over 30 years and I built this site so that I can share all my knowledge, wisdom and experience from the thousands of swimming lessons I have had the pleasure of teaching.

So if you're a fellow teacher, beginner swimmer or an improver, there is something here for you. Simply click around and scroll about, or get in touch and ask me a question."

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