A good number of people are interested in improving their health, and the good news is that there are various ways in which to do this. One of these ways is swimming, which is one of the most popular pastime activities in the United States for people of all ages. You don’t even need to have a pool at your home to reap the benefits of a regular swim because you can head to a local pool as often as you can to spend some time on this full-body workout. Here are four of the ways in which you can improve your health as a result of sparing the time to swim frequently to get you more motivated to take the plunge.
1. It Can Improve Sleep Quality
Swimming can help you sleep better and longer. That’s because swimming is basically a form of exercise, and one of the things that exercise does is restore the body’s circadian rhythm by resetting the internal clock. Swimming, fun as it may be, is actually a type of vigorous aerobic activity that ensures that those who take part in it spend more time in restorative deep sleep. To get the full benefits of this activity, make sure to practice safe swimming habits and only swim in regulated spaces unless you’re an amazing swimmer. This can keep you safe from a possible disaster, with drowning in natural waters accounting for nearly one-third of all deaths due to unintentional drowning, according to a report shared by the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services.
2. It Burns Calories and Strengthens Muscles
If you’re thinking about an exercise that’s going to help you burn calories and stay lean, swimming is a great option to consider. That’s because it works out the whole body, engaging the arms, shoulders, legs, glutes, back, and core. As a result, you can tone the whole body at a go with a session of swimming. In addition to this, the water provides resistance to movement, making swimming a form of resistance training.
To get the best overall effect from swimming, remember to also eat a healthy and balanced diet. This can help safeguard your oral health and therefore ensure that you’re in good health at all levels. This is an important detail because oral diseases impact about 3.5 billion people around the world, according to the World Health Organization.
3. It Can Help Manage Arthritis
Swimming is also an amazing way to help manage arthritis and even fibromyalgia. Studies have shown that people suffering from musculoskeletal conditions can enjoy an improved quality of life as a result of reduced joint pain and stiffness in the case of something like arthritis. Aquatic physical therapy can also help manage severe pain and could help this become more manageable. As a result, swimming can help improve overall health, making it easier to deal with other pre-existing conditions like chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and being immunocompromised, which increase the risk of a C. auris infection. With regular swimming sessions, you may be able to notice an improvement in your overall health over time.
4. It May Improve Mental Health
Last but not least, it should come as no surprise that swimming is amazing at boosting mood. That said, regular swimming can help lower stress, reduce anxiety, and combat depression to a considerable degree. This may be in part due to the fact that swimming more often than not takes place in the outdoors, allowing you to benefit from exposure to the beauty of the outdoors. In these four ways, it’s clear that swimming can help you improve your health. Set aside some time to swim regularly if you want to start enjoying the benefits of this sport. The best part is that you can do it alone or do it alongside other people who may have similar goals to yours in terms of improving health.
