Swimming helps you lose weight and improve cardiovascular fitness. It’s just that the benefits of swimming outweigh those of running for many reasons. It’s especially if you know the lifesaving tips for swimming. Lifesaving safety tips for water sports enthusiasts are essential to enjoy the activity fullest and get the maximum health benefits. First, you should learn how to swim properly and use the correct gear. Then, learning the CPR and preventing any drugs and alcohol use before going swimming is beneficial. Now, let’s take a closer look at the health benefits of swimming one-by-one here.
Strengthens Your Body
A fantastic and natural benefit of swimming is the immune effect. Water is 1000 times more compact than air. So when you swim, it’s like strength training without dumbbells. Water is strength training. Once you swim, you get a full-body workout that puts little stress on your joints. This includes the legs, core, upper and lower torso, wrists, chest, and shoulders. Running, while an excellent cardiovascular exercise, does little to develop vibratory muscles.
Burns Calories
A moderately intense workout is classified as keeping the heart at 50-70 percent of the maximum heart rate. A strenuous workout is performed at 70-85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This can vary depending on your weight. If you burn 500 more calories a day than you take in, you can lose a pound of fat a week. Okay, that may not sound like a lot. But believe in the long term. After a month, you can lose about 4-5 pounds – almost half a stone.
Improves Cardiovascular Health
When the body is upright (like when jumping or running), the core must work hard to pump blood and oxygen to and from the lower extremities. This increased demand on the core can cause spikes in blood pressure, which is not good for the heart. Also, because the body is in a flat position when swimming, the core has to work hard.
Stretches and Lengthens the Spine
Another advantage of swimming over jogging is the result of the absence of weight in the water. At the end of each stroke – breaststroke, freestyle, etc. – the entire body is stretched. This allows the spine to lengthen and the openings between the vertebrae to widen. Physical therapists encourage patients with disc problems to swim because of this spine-stretching effect. It takes the strain off the discs.
I don’t want to divert attention from what runners love to do. Its health benefits are undeniable. However, long-distance running puts tremendous stress on the ankle, knee, and hip joints. There is nothing negative about swimming, other than the requirement that you know how to swim. It can be a problem for many who have not been introduced to the water from a young age. I say it’s never too late to find out. Swimming lessons are inexpensive, and there are many instructors at the pool, regardless of the location you choose.