Keeping Fit: 5 Reasons to Go Swimming

Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. Not only is doing laps of the pool fun and a great way to socialise but it also helps you to build muscles and lose weight without the embarrassment of sweating in front of other people or the pressure of getting to grips with machines. Swimming tends to be much more affordable than signing up to your local gym and it’s one of very few sports you can do at any age. Here are five reasons to take up swimming:

Extending your life expectancy

Did you know that swimming slows down ageing? A study conducted at the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming, at Indiana University Bloomington, found that participants lived longer lives if they swam three to five times a week.

If you swim often you are more likely to have healthy blood pressure and good cardiovascular health. That reduces your chances of getting heart disease and diabetes later in life.

If these reasons aren’t enough to get you in the pool we should add that swimming also helps to make you more confident and intelligent, and is good for asthma sufferers. So what are you waiting for? Put down those weights and get in the pool.

Boosting your mood

Swimming can improve your mental health. Studies have shown that people who swim regularly are less likely to be depressed and don’t get angry very often. That is because swimming releases the hormone serotonin, which makes you feel happier. Taking part in swimming competitions can do even more wonders for your mental health. No wonder Michael Phelps always seems to be smiling.

Shedding weight

You’ll be glad to know that simply staying afloat takes enough effort to shed weight. A good swim burns approximately 360 calories in just 30 minutes (or 400 if you’re doing butterfly stroke), which is more than you can say for running or jogging. Even breaststroke, which is perceived as the “easiest” stroke, burns around 60 calories in 10 minutes. Be sure to mix up your strokes and try swimming at different speeds fro the ultimate workout.

Building muscle

Moving through water takes a lot of energy and power, so you have to use all your muscles. Pool time also improves flexibility in your joints and muscles, especially in your arms, shoulders, legs, and back. That is why swimming is recommended for pregnant women. Front crawl in particular is good for the glutes and the lack of jarring impacts reduces the damage to joints that is an inescapable part of most other sports, such as running.

Improving your sleep

Like yoga, swimming is relaxing and can eliminate stress. The sound of your own breathing in the water can be meditative and calming and concentrating on your technique allows you to forget whatever else is going on in yout life, from money problems to exams. The National Sleep Foundation recently found that swimmers are less likely to wake up early or suffer from insomnia. That’s why it’s good to go for an evening swim.

Elle Linton B: www.keepitsimpElle.com  Tw: X_eLle_S

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