4 Physical Benefits of Swimming

Swimming is great for your body – no matter what age, weight, or fitness level you are. Like no other activity, it provides an excellent workout while bearing only a fraction of your body’s weight. Make swimming a part of your routine for these 4 physical benefits:

1. Supports Cardio

There’s no doubt that swimming gets your heart rate up and lungs working hard. Participating in a high intensity swimming regime for 15 weeks supports overall cardiovascular health.

2. Burns Calories

Because swimming burns serious calories, it supports healthy weight loss. In 30 minutes, a 154 lbs person burns 294 calories doing the front crawl at a slow pace and 404 calories at a fast pace. As a comparison, this expends the same amount of energy as playing tennis or cycling at approximately 21km per hour for 30 minutes [1].

3. Tones Muscles

There’s more resistance moving in water than in air, which makes swimming an excellent way for you to tone and strengthen the muscles in your arms, legs, shoulders, and core.

4. Easy on Joints

Unlike high impact exercises, swimming is one of the few aerobic activities that is easy on your joints. It’s commonly recommended for people with who cannot withstand the trauma of other athletic activities, as well as injured athletes who need to keep their aerobic fitness up while healing.

Whether you swim solo, with friends, or with family, you’re sure to benefit. What’s your motivation for swimming? Let us know in the comments section below.
References:

[1] The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA). “Swimming: Taking the Plunge for a Fitter Lifestyle.” 2014. Web. 1 July 2015.