Health Benefits

Swimming is something that most people find enjoyable. And, if you enjoy it enough to do it regularly, you’ll quickly find that it’s not just fun. It also offers a number of health and fitness related benefits.

For maximum effect, try swimming several times a week for at least thirty minutes at a time. If you can commit to that, you’ll enjoy the following health benefits (and then some!) in no time at all.

Burn Calories

When you swim, you’ll get your heart pumping, which means you’ll burn calories as you exercise. How many calories you burn will depend on the intensity of your swimming and your weight. An average adult (about 155 pounds) will typically burn over 700 calories by swimming laps for just one hour!

When you burn calories, you’ll also be burning fat, which can help you to maintain a healthy weight and/or lose weight if needed.

Build Muscle

In addition to burning off excess calories, swimming can also help you to build muscle.

The water offers natural resistance, which enables you to tone and shape your arms, legs, and core as you swim. And, when you carry more muscle, you’ll burn calories more easily and enjoy greater balance and stamina- some pretty awesome benefits!

Heal Your Body

Many people turn to swimming when they’re having joint problems or when they’ve recently suffered a strain or injury.  If this has happened to you, swimming can be the exercise you’ve been looking for. It will allow you to work out in a low-impact, non-harmful way so that you can still get your exercise in even as your body heals.

In all of these ways, swimming is incredibly beneficial for the body and for your overall health. If committing to exercise is hard for you, remember you can always work your way up. Start by swimming once a week and then add in one or two more days per week. Before you know it, you’ll be working out regularly and reaping the benefits too!