Even if you've never gone to a swimming pool before, you are likely familiar with household names like Michael Phelps and Krisztina Egerszegi.
Luckily, you don't have to be at the level of Olympian athlete to learn to swim.
Many people learn to swim because they regard it as a necessary life-saving skill, while some do it for their love of the water.
You can become more confident by just taking up swimming.
Don't believe us? Here are five benefits of swimming that will make you want to visit your local swimming pool the next time you are looking for an activity to do on the weekend.
Reason #1: Swimming can improve one's physical health.
If you've ever wondered to what extent swimming can help you stay fit, we can first look at the different muscle groups that work together while in action:
- Leg action: All swimming strokes involve repetitive kicking which effectively works your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles.
- It's all in the core: To maintain stability in your swimming, you need to constantly keep your lower back muscles, obliques and abdominal muscles engaged.
- Upper body strength: You need to keep the muscles in your chest, upper back, arms and shoulders working if you want to propel yourself forward! The butterfly stroke and freestyle are popular for building strength in the upper body.
Consider the various swimming styles to have an amazing full-body workout for muscular health!
Your cardiovascular health greatly benefits from swimming, too. In addition to strength and agility, endurance is an element that is necessary for laps at the swimming pool. Like many cardio exercises, swimming trains the heart to pump blood more efficiently throughout the body, thus reducing cholesterol levels and lowering the risk of high blood pressure.
Swimming has also been said to help individuals with diabetes and reduce the risk of certain cancers! Nonetheless, if these reasons aren't sufficient for picking up swimming as a hobby, perhaps you aren't looking just to burn calories but also to find an activity that can be relaxing for you.
Reason #2: Just being in the swimming pool can reduce stress levels.
With the hustle and bustle of life, it pays to have a moment where you can simply be at peace and not have to worry about what the next day will bring.
Generally, exercise is recommended not just to preserve your physical health but also to take care of your mental wellness. Swimming in particular is unique as research points to the experience of being near water as one that can promote a sense of relaxation while soothing tension and anxiety.
You don't even have to drive down to a lake to have this experience as other blue spaces, like a swimming pool, provide similar relaxing effects as if you were spending time in nature.
When talking about the benefits of swimming, scientists often point to its nature of engaging the five senses, which is also why this activity addresses various areas of mental health. If you've been experiencing low or irritable mood, or even managing depressive symptoms, you can also benefit from swimming as the sound, sights and sometimes smell of water can promote positive feelings.
Let's say you've had pleasant experiences at the beach as a child: well, being at the swimming pool can therefore help you recall those happy memories and improve your mood!
Nonetheless, not everyone has had memorable experiences with water, such as those who are dealing with aquaphobia. Still, it is possible to work through this fear of water if you really want to learn to swim! Another one of the benefits of swimming that may encourage you is...
Reason #3: People of various fitness levels can learn to swim.
... you don't have to be young and fit to take up swimming!
Children who take up swimming learn from an early age that they need to maintain a healthy body while also learning how to build strength, stamina and endurance. But did you know older folks are also greatly benefiting from this activity?
Regular exercise, even as you age into your later years, is important for reducing the risk of potential diseases and can even delay the effects of ageing! Still, keeping fit for older persons can be challenging due to the onset of mobility issues or stiffness in the joints. Since water helps to keep the body afloat, swimming is regarded as a low-impact exercise that won't strain aching joints yet will still help to reduce joint inflammation!
Remember how swimming also trains stability? Swimming can also help older adults reduce their risk of falls and risk of getting injured from falls.
Other groups that can reap the benefits of swimming include:
- Persons with multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Osteoporosis and kyphosis patients
- Those looking to keep fit while pregnant
- People managing chronic lung conditions like asthma
Reason #4: You'll never get bored of swimming because there are various ways to do it.
Learning something new can sometimes feel demotivating if you feel like you are repeating the same thing over and over again.
It's fun to have some variety in any activity you may want to try picking up, and for swimming, you don't have to worry about sticking to only one form of exercise in the swimming pool. Here are some popular swimming strokes that even beginner swimmers like to use:
- Breaststroke, which is swimming with the body facing down while the arms make semicircular movements, and the legs are performing the "frog kick".
- With the sidestroke, one side of the upper body is used at a time with asymmetrical arm movements, and legs performing scissor kicks repeatedly.
- For freestyle, the body is facing down and rolls from one side to the other following the arms pulling the water.
In addition to the different types of swimming strokes, swimming practice also involves changing up the pace of your swimming, the strength of your strokes, and even managing your breathing technique. All in all, learning numerous ways to swim helps one become a swimmer who can swim more effortlessly while having the skill of variable pace and style.
These elements can be extremely exciting for individuals who are easily bored and want to stay challenged! To start, you should consider the top places to learn swimming in 2023.
Reason #5: Swimming with others promotes social well-being.
Practising a socially active lifestyle has been shown to contribute to happiness and even a longer lifespan.
One of the underrated benefits of swimming is that you are hardly ever alone when you are at the swimming pool. When swimming at home, you can practise with your family members who may also be interested in learning it, or invite your friends over to have a pool party afterwards!
If you are just starting out, then you are likely taking swimming lessons at a school or public pool. This will give you ample time to bond with others who are also taking lessons while allowing yourself to be supported in the process. You may even find that you have a talent for swimming and represent your school or college! That would be a great platform to make friends and learn how great it is to be part of a team.
Swimming is a fun activity when you can learn to swim with others!
It's important that you take care of your social well-being and stay supported when you are learning to swim, just like when you learn with a swimming instructor on Superprof. To reap all the benefits of swimming, you should make sure that you learn with a reliable swimming instructor who can teach you all the basics and provide you with personalised lessons for improvement.
This is where Superprof comes in, a platform that ensures you don't need to travel far to look for the best swimming instructors in Malaysia. Here's how to find the right swimming instructor for you: visit the Superprof Tutors page and key in "swimming" in the "What do you want to learn?" search engine. Now, you can browse through the catalogue of over 150 swimming instructors from around the world!
Yes, you heard that right. You can choose to physically meet your swimming instructor or take virtual lessons with a swimming instructor from places like Dubai, Liverpool or Dublin! Taking online swimming lessons is perfect if you already have a swimming pool at home and are progressing to the intermediate swimmer level.
Of course, it's recommended that you learn in person with a swimming instructor on Superprof especially if you are at the beginner level. Sign up today to enjoy your first swimming lesson for free! Find ladies swimming class in KL and more!
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