Swimming Benefits & Workout From an Ex-Swimmer

A Sweat Sesh Without Feeling The Sweat

Whether you have been swimming for years, swim for fun, or don’t know how, here are some reasons why you should add swimming to your workout routine: 

Calm In The Waves

Swimming can be meditative, the rhythmic strokes and sound of water can make swimming extra relaxing.

• Studies have shown that swimming can produce similar effects to pulmonary function and relaxation responses as yoga because of the nature of the exercises with constantly stretching and contracting your muscles.

Improves Coordination

Swimming as a whole improves the body’s range of motion, functional strength, and overall flexibility. 

• Improves your core strength. Get those muscles! 

• Improves mobile stability in your joints.

• Enhances your body’s motor skills.

Painful joints? No problem!

Swimming is a joint-friendly sport. Some people like to swim when they’re recovering from an injury or even when they’re going for a recovery day. Swimming can become essential because it doesn’t add the “wear and tear” on your body that high-impact activities do. 

• The buoyancy of water counteracts the force of gravity, making swimming a low-impact sport, which means it’s not a ton of stress on your bones and joints.

• It strengthens your joints and can improve posture and position of the spinal column, which can become a great exercise for people with back problems! 

Breathe Girl, Breathe

On top of making your heart happy and increasing your stamina, swimming will help you breathe more efficiently.

• You won’t be out of breath anymore running up those stairs to class! 

• Can help you out when you’re doing other activities, whether that’s running, biking, dancing, or even singing. 

• Improving your breathing can help decrease overall fatigue, too.

Tone It Up

Often women want to gain muscle, but they are concerned about getting “too big” or “too bulky”. Remember that you are beautiful regardless, and to always do what is most healthy for you. With swimming, you will absolutely gain muscle but you will be lengthening your muscles in the process.

• Combines resistance training with cardio, which helps build lean muscle and boost your metabolism. 

• Since your body is in a full range of motion, this helps your muscles elongate and become more flexible. 

Focus

Your brain is a huge fan of swimming and swimming is a huge fan of you! 

• Extra blood and oxygen to your brain help you be more awake, alert, and focused.

• Swimming makes your mind create neural muscular adjustments to fix the imbalances made from your continuous movement in the water.

• Swimming releases the “feel-good” hormones, endorphins!

Try it out! Sample workout: 

#1] Warm-Up

3x – 100 (2 laps in a 50-meter pool, 4 laps in a 25 yard/meter pool) with a 30-second rest between each. 

REST 1 minute, get some water, and relax. 

#2] Drill

4x- 50 (1 lap in a 50-meter pool, 2 laps in a 25 yard/meter pool) with a 45-second rest between each. You can use this for drills or practicing stroke of choice. 

REST 1 minute, shake it out, breathe! 

#3] Workout

4x-100 (2 laps in a 50-meter pool, 4 laps in a 25 yard/meter pool) and try to bring your heart rate up at around 80% effort. Stroke of choice, try to balance them out so you can get some practice of different ways of swimming in. 

REST 1 minute, stay hydrated! 

#4] Kicking

2x- 100 (2 laps in a 50-meter pool, 4 laps in a 25 yard/meter pool) kick in streamline (your body is face-down to the bottom of the pool, you make the “A” in YMCA with your arms, keep your arms close to your ears, one palm on top of the top of your hand) and take breaths as needed, or if you have a kickboard you can use that. 

#5] Cool Down 

1x – 100 (2 laps in a 50-meter pool, 4 laps in a 25 yard/meter pool), cool it down, and stretch it out in whatever way that looks like for you in the water. 

Summer is just around the corner. While swimming inside is super fun, swimming outside would be a great way to keep yourself in tip-top shape and be able to enjoy the sun and weather while you’re at it! 

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