Taking the time out of your busy schedule to unwind at the beach or a river or even at the pool can be relaxing, as it helps allows you to relax and enjoy your time away from work. Heaven knows you need it.
It’s been a long week, work has been hectic, and the urge to dip your body in water calls your attention. It is not a bad idea at all. It’s a great plan to let loose in fact. You decide to make it an outing with all your girls since the initial plan was to hang out for the weekend and you suggested swimming, so they bought the idea.
With your hair packed and your swimsuit hanging sexily on your skin as the rest of your body is caressed by the fresh breeze from the sweetest parts of the world. What more can you ask for? How else can you appreciate life? You are welcomed by nature at her best.
You take three deep breaths and soak yourself in. Breasts stroke for fifteen minutes, freestyle for another fifteen. You feel the rush of energy coursing through your body. It has been ages you felt this way. You feel the stress washing off with each stroke you make. Ah! It feels good, doesn’t it?
You take a bold dive and swim under like fishes do, holding your breath as you navigate your way across the waterbed and come out at the other end of the pool and your buddies applauding you for your swimming skills and you all have a few drinks to enjoy the day. Time at work would never have given you this kind of feeling.
Are you aware of what you just did? Have you even the foggiest Idea the changes your body is going through while you were playing dolphin? Any ideas of the physical benefits of swimming? You can’t deny the fact that you feel even better than a few hours before you got into the water.
Let’s educate you if you have no clue then.
Benefits of swimming
1. Feeds your body Vitamin D
The time to swim best is when the sun is up, and exposure to direct sunlight helps the body to absorb the nutrition it provides. Vitamin D provides the skin cell with enough growth power and it helps boosts the skins immune system.
Too much exposure, however, should be avoided as it speeds up ageing. It is true what they say, “too much of everything isn’t good”. 10 to 15 minutes exposure is just enough.
2. Improves Flexibility
The various kinds of swimming positions you adopt allow for full body muscles stretching. From your head to your toes as the water provides for your body to extend entirely as a result of the twisting and pulling done under and above water. Don’t forget to take breaks as too much muscle flexing might cause muscle pulls that can be very painful.
3. Healthier Heart
Swimming is considered an aerobic exercise that serves to improve on the strength of the heart helps it pump healthier blood but also makes the heart larger. This invariably allows for better blood flow throughout the body.
4. Calorie burner
Fitness coaches would quickly recommend swimming as a faster means of controlling weight gain, despite rigorous indoor exercises. Intense swimming programs are sure to give you needed results. Meaning, what you offer, is what you get.
The options include breaststrokes which would burn up to 60 calories, backstrokes would take about 80 from you, while freestyle would snatch a whopping 100 to 120 calories, and butterfly strokes pack a punch up to 150 to 180 calories.
Voila!
5. Helps you stay mentally fit
Swimming for patients with mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and OCD can benefit from swimming as the feeling of water cooling against the skin releases endorphin in the brain.
This happy chemical helps in relaxation of the mind and body and also helps lighten the mood.
This king exercise also allows for a calm atmosphere and allows you to focus by helping you think on positive things that help you relax completely. It has also been known to alleviate stress.
So chill.
6. Great for expecting mothers
Swimming is generally considered a safe form of exercise for pregnant women. It is one of the very many ways pregnant women can maintain their fitness without any fear of their baby or babies getting affected negatively. However, it is best you check in with your doctor for professional advice before you consider any form of swimming exercises.
7. Great for your skin
Do you want that shiny glow? That great feel on your skin? Swimming is definitely for you if you are not afraid to get wet. Open water workouts should be considered for this effect.
Swimming in salt water has been known to help the skin retain moisture and detoxify the skin and helps promote new cell growth.
Make this a habit, and you would be surprised at how jealous your friends would get.
Get some salt people.
8. Natural sleeping pill
Considerable time spent in the water swimming boost not only your immune system but also boost your ability to sleep better. This means, for patients with insomnia, swimming is highly recommended. It is the natural sleeping pill, and it is amazingly cheap.
Swimming safety
- It is advisable to read the rules and relation of the pool you are swimming in.
- Be sure to know how deep the level of water is before you dive in to avoid drowning.
- Don’t hesitate to ask the lifeguard for anything you are not sure of.
- Stretch you joints before swimming to avoid muscle pulls.
- Order for a floater of necessary.
- Shower before getting into the body of the water, and also make sure to shower after.
- Moisturise your skin after swimming.
- Check in with your doctor if you have any injuries, so you know if it’s safe to swim or not.
- Consider taking swimming lessons if you had no prior knowledge.
- Choose a safe swimming zone. Your safety is important.
