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What are the 5 benefits of swimming for your health?
Fit & Vital

What are the 5 benefits of swimming for your health?

26 may 2019

In the Netherlands, many people are sent to swimming lessons at a young age. It is entirely customary to obtain an A and B diploma before the age of ten. As a result, the majority of Dutch people can manage well in the water. A significant number of adults even enjoy swimming. This is not surprising, as swimming offers numerous benefits.

1. Healthy for your muscles and joints

Swimming is a sport that places a healthy load on your muscles. Due to the water, gravity has a much lesser impact on your muscles and joints compared to sports like football or running. The shock load in a swimming pool is therefore very low. The movements are smoother. This benefit makes swimming suitable for people with rheumatic conditions, back problems, or osteoarthritis.

2. Effective way to burn fat

If you want to burn fat, it's best to engage in endurance sports. In explosive sports, your body primarily burns carbohydrates, which doesn’t lead to weight loss. With walking, endurance running, and swimming, your body does burn fats. Combined with a good diet, swimming is a great way to contribute to weight loss. Of course, intensity and duration of training are crucial when losing weight.

3. Full body workout

In swimming, you need to use a large part of your muscles to move forward effectively. You train not only your legs but also your back, abdomen, arms, shoulders, and buttocks. Swimming is an excellent full body workout that could, for example, alleviate a number of back problems.

4. Increase in lung capacity

If you swim laps enthusiastically, you increase your lung capacity. As you can take in more oxygen during your daily activities, you feel fitter and tire less quickly. Exercise, including swimming, can also contribute to lowering your cholesterol and blood pressure.

5. Reduction of stress

By swimming regularly, you gain energy. The (warm) water relaxes your muscles, and the movement clears your mind. Perhaps the feeling of weightlessness also plays a role, allowing you to feel free and let your worries drift away.

Live healthily

However, swimming alone is not enough. To fully enjoy the benefits of a healthy body, you must not only exercise but also work on a healthy lifestyle. This includes healthy eating, minimal to no alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine, plenty of water, and sufficient rest. Read here how to create more relaxation.

The costs

The great thing about swimming is that the costs are reasonable compared to many other sports. Your basic necessities consist of swimwear and a towel. Slippers and goggles are nice to have. Many swimming pools offer subscription forms in the shape of multi-visit cards or off-peak cards. And swimming in natural water is even cheaper. All very good reasons to take a dip.

Author: Sanne van der Rijt