Swimming is more than a fun activity. It is excellent for both
your physical and mental health. The benefits extend far beyond
just improving your fitness .

Compared to other sports, it is
less harmful and you get a full body workout at the same time. You train both your
lower and upper body. In Willeke’s latest blog you can read more about the many
benefits of swimming with lifeguard certification.

Benefits of Swimming

Swimming has so many benefits. On very hot days, it is an ideal
sports activity to undertake, in contrast to running, for example. You cool down nicely
and you train your whole body at the same time. Did you know that swimming is also very good if you want to
lose weight?

Below are even more benefits associated with swimming:

You burn more calories

You burn a large number of calories while swimming. For example, half an hour
of swimming is equivalent to running 10 kilometers and you burn no less than 300 kcal. It is
important to do continuous laps and not to float.

It strengthens the muscles and bones

The water offers a constant resistance, so that we slowly build muscle mass. By
alternating different swimming strokes, your body benefits even more.
In addition, it is an activity that does not burden the bones, but the swimming movements
do increase bone density in the spine, hips and legs. People with
osteoporosis experience swimming as enjoyable and without any drawbacks.

Less risk of cardiovascular disease

Like other cardiovascular activities, swimming lowers the risk of cardiovascular
disease. It lowers your blood pressure and your cholesterol. It is important
to go swimming for 30 minutes at least three times a week.

It is an ideal activity for people with osteoarthritis

People with osteoarthritis often suffer from joint pain. It is important to
keep moving. Rest rusts, that certainly applies to a condition such as osteoarthritis. Swimming is a low-impact sport. The water provides support everywhere and the stress on the joints is minimal. In addition, the muscles are trained quickly and well.

The Disadvantages of Swimming

Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to swimming. For example, you are not sure whether the pool water
you swim in is clean enough. You should also take into account the opening times of
the pool and a constant chlorine smell.

Swimming is good for you. Why? Therefore!

Of course exercise, whatever you do, is good for a person. But swimming does have a few stripes ahead of other sports. It is a special branch of sport and that has its advantages. Which? Here are a few advantages at a glance.

1. Painful Joints and Overweight

Being submerged in the water releases bones and muscles somewhat from the constraints of gravity. This makes swimming an ideal exercise for people with osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia, where exercises on land hurt the joints. The buoyancy of the water is also attractive for overweight or obese people. Running can then ask too much of the body, while swimming is not a problem.

2. Tackle your whole body

Is moving in the water less effective as a result. On the contrary! Your body works just as hard in the pool. Water is heavier than air, so moving through the water puts more external pressure on your limbs than a workout on dry land. Even better, the pressure is evenly distributed. So it doesn’t just come down to knees or hips that often have to endure with other sports. Swimming not only targets the muscle groups in your lower body such as running or cycling, but also those of your upper body such as your back and arms.

3. Back problems

In addition, it is very good for the back. Since we move more vertically than horizontally throughout the day, moving horizontally through the water can have a beneficial effect. Especially on the posture of our backs. Of course anything is better than sitting, but it is also very good that the back has to work horizontally. In this way, back complaints are also better prevented.

4. Breathing

Another important point: breathing. During a run or bike ride, you don’t breathe in so deeply and exhale forcefully. But with swimming it is the other way around. Because the head is underwater when swimming, you breathe in quickly and deeply and then let the air drip. This breathing also improves the strength of your breathing muscles.

Not convinced yet? Try it yourself!

In addition to taking swimming lessons, you can also swim freely with us and we offer lessons such as Aquafit, Aquabootcamp and Baby Swimming. But we also have lessons for special target groups. How about Swimming with Fibromyalgia or moving in the water with COPD. So you see once again how diverse swimming or moving in the water can be.

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