Why Swimming is Great Exercise and a Whole Lot of Fun Too!

Plenty of evidence supports the claim that swimming is the best exercise you can take. First up, it’s a good all-rounder, meaning it’s a great cardio workout and builds muscle, too.

It’s also a low-impact sport because the water supports the joints. This makes it especially appealing to those beyond their youthful prime.

What makes swimming stand out from the crowd, though, is it’s fun! Read on for the ideas you need to turn a grey, drizzly day into an action-packed adventure that all the family will enjoy.

Almost as Good as Ice Cream!

Ask any child what they want most from the summer holidays, and a pool will likely feature high up on their wishlist. The mere idea of swimming conjures up images of inflatable unicorns, snorkelling underwater or dive-bombing Dad.

Swimming is also a great calorie burner. Half an hour of exercise in the pool can burn up as many as 250 calories. Even if the kids are simply playing rather than sprinting up and down the lap lane, they’ll use up energy at a rapid rate. That means an ice cream after making a splash can be a guilt-free pleasure!

Water’s resistance makes movements harder but in a pleasing way. Water is almost 750 times denser than air so swimming is highly effective at toning the muscles and far better than any other kind of aerobic exercise on land. Swimming also helps keep hearts healthy, encourages fitness and enables weight loss. 

Moon Walking on Water

Because the resistance is even across all the parts of the body under the water, swimming is an excellent alternative for those who may not enjoy or feel a little intimidated by lifting weights.

A pool is also the closest place on Earth where you’ll feel what it’s like walking on the moon. Even NASA has its own training pool for astronauts to prepare for weightlessness and experience that slo-mo effect. Its Neutral Buoyancy Lab, located at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, contains 6.2 million gallons of water, enough to fill nine Olympic-sized pools.

All-Round Appeal For All Ages

Swimming is a team-bonding activity that the whole family can enjoy together. Learning to swim will give you a life-saving skill, and it’s never too late to start swimming, so if you lack confidence or are starting from scratch, do something about it today. Our swimming crash courses can be a helpful starting point.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a gym fanatic, pregnant, recovering from an injury, a new mum or an Ironman Champion; swimming will give you a superb workout. You’ll get out of swimming what you put into it, so you control the intensity and space.

Water therapy helps build muscle and enhance conditioning with minimal impact. It is also ideal for strains, sprains, and muscle tears. Experts suggest swimming or walking in the water as preferred rehabilitation exercises for injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Swimming is Low-Impact and Supportive

Water supports up to around 90 per cent of our body weight, making it a superb way to keep moving even with an injury or disability. There’s growing evidence, too, that swimming can have a positive effect on the symptoms of asthma, making breathing easier.

The low-impact nature of swimming can be beneficial to arthritis sufferers. Swimming allows them to exercise regularly without making their condition worse. Gentle movement can alleviate stiffness and pain.

Lane Training

Some people get put off by lane swimming because they think it’ll be monotonous. They may also not want to share the lane with other swimmers for various reasons.

Wearing headphones while swimming can boost your motivation while you work out and make the experience more enjoyable. Ensure your headphones are waterproof and fit properly without letting water in or causing pain. 

Abide by a few lane etiquette rules to make lane swimming pleasant for everyone:

• Choose the right lane for your pace
• Dangle your legs in the water first to let others know you are there
• Be respectful of the space of other swimmers
• Leave plenty of room before pushing off behind the next swimmer
• Follow the direction of other swimmers
• If a swimmer wants to overtake, let them
• If the lane is too busy, let swimmers pass when you reach the end of the pool
• Always overtake with caution to avoid a head-on collision

Swimming lengths gives you a sense of freedom, too. When you get into your zone, you’ll feel relaxed and more mindful of the sensation of the water around you.

If you don’t stay active, you’re likely to feel less energetic. That can begin a downward spiral because the more tired you feel, the less inclined you are to exercise.

Swimming thirty minutes three times a week will increase your energy levels and boost your metabolic rate. You’ll also exercise without getting sweaty because the water around you constantly cools you down.

Regular swimming can reduce stress levels and lower blood pressure. It can also help to stave off depression and anxiety. You can reap the benefits from even a short swim.

Make a Day of It

School holidays can be a drag, particularly if the weather’s not great. Turn the swimming pool into a day out with some lane swimming, inflatable fun, spa time and a snack in the café afterwards.

Wherever you’re swimming with the kids, it’s all good, harmless fun. Even doing lengths can be pleasurable because it boosts our endorphins, our happy hormones. Swimming can open up a whole lot of new doors that you may not have considered before heading to your local leisure centre.

For example, you may fancy participating in some aqua aerobics classes, trying out scuba diving, joining a charity event or even attempting to swim across the Channel.

Join in the Fun Today!

Hanging around with nothing to do? There’s only one thing for it. Get yourself down to your favourite local leisure centre today! Have fun, get fit and enjoy a day out with the family and friends.