8 Benefits of Swimming for Fitness

Swimming is a fun activity for kids and adults, but you may not realize there are also many benefits of swimming as a fitness activity. During the summer, going for a swim is a great way to entertain your children or meet up with family and friends for a relaxing, cool activity. However, you can also easily use your swimming pool as the spot for multiple exercises and workouts that bring a wealth of benefits to your body!

Low Impact Activity

Swimming is seen as one of the most popular low impact activities for fitness. There is very little risk of energy, and the water assists in supporting your weight. During a swimming session, you only have to bear 10% of your body weight, thanks to the buoyancy of the water. Because of this, people of all abilities and fitness levels can partake in swimming to get fit or stay in shape. Senior citizens or disabled people confined to wheelchairs can even take part in swimming for fitness.

No-Sweat Exercise

One of the best benefits of swimming for exercise is that you don’t have to sweat to get a good workout in! The cool water of the swimming pool keeps your body temperature down, no matter how intense you are moving in the pool. You won’t even need a shower if you need to rush off to another commitment after your swim. People who are against exercising because it makes them feel icky have no excuses when swimming is an option!

Supports Optimal Oxygen Usage

Swimming requires you to breathe efficiently in order to finish your workout. The more you hold your breath underwater, the more you train your lungs to take deeper breaths. Your body also learns to be more efficient with the oxygen you have. The deeper breaths also help you to expel more carbon dioxide, further support proper lung function.

Another cool side note on swimming benefits on the lungs: The moist air you breathe in while in the pool can help to curb symptoms of asthma, especially cases where your breathing may become difficult during exercise.

Works the Entire Body

You can get that all-body workout you need in less time with swimming. Many fitness gurus see swimming as both a cardio and strength training activity. Wouldn’t you rather be in the pool for 30 minutes and get the same benefits as one hour in the gym, lifting weights and running on the treadmill?

Promotes Cardio Health

Since you are working your entire body when you swim, your heart rate goes up and you burn more calories. Your body needs more energy, which it can get from fat storages in your body. Swimming works just as well as other cardio activities, including jogging or walking, to burn calories and develop improved cardio health.

Provides Multiple Levels of Fitness

Though it is a low impact exercise, swimming exercises can be done in different levels of intensity, depending on your needs. You can choose to participate in a vigorous water aerobics workout, or perform a more leisure swim from one side of the pool to the other multiple times. Again, it’s all about the abilities of the swimmer, and the exercise routine can easily be adjusted to fit the person who wants to get fit in the water.

Boosts Weight Loss

Because you are working multiple areas of your body at once, swimming is great at burning calories and speeding up your metabolism, This, in turn, will cause you to lose weight. Follow a structured swimming for fitness schedule; 3-4 times per week is sufficient. You can choose to only swim for health, since it is effective enough alone, or add in order exercises such as walking or weights.

Assists with Better Sleep

When you are swimming for an hour or more of exercise each day, you will find your body tired and ready to relax by bedtime. Many people who have had problems falling asleep have found they sleep easier when they swim a few hours before it’s time for bed. The activity also helps to relieve stress and worries that can keep you from getting enough sleep, thanks to the release of “happy” hormones when you exercise.

Creating the Perfect Swimming Atmosphere for Exercise

If you plan to reap the benefits of swimming for fitness, you need to invest in a quality swimming pool for your backyard. That way, you can take a dip and work toward shedding unwanted pounds anytime you feel like it! Create your perfect swimming spot with Rec Warehouse - a popular swimming pool company right here in Georgia. The business offers pools, liners, ladders, chemicals, and everything else you need to keep your workout space up and running.

With locations in Kennesaw, Jonesboro, and Norcross, you can come by and check out the latest pool offerings that Rec Warehouse has anytime you are free. The company’s owner, David Doebler, has grown up around pools his whole life. His father and uncle started Rec Warehouse back in the early 1970’s, and David was their first employee. You will gain all the knowledge you need to properly maintain a swimming pool for exercising from David and his employees!

*This post is a sponsored post in which I received compensation for posting. This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my Disclosure Page for details.