Everybody can get great benefits from swimming 

1. Works your whole body

One of the biggest benefits of swimming is that it truly works your entire body, head to toe and can:

• increase your heart rate without stressing your body
• tone muscles
• build strength
• build endurance

There are various strokes and swimming drills you can use to add variety to your swimming workout. Each stroke focuses on different muscle groups, and the water provides a gentle resistance. No matter what stroke you swim, you’re using most of your muscle groups to move your body through the water.

2. Works your insides, too

While your muscles are getting a good workout, your cardiovascular system is, too. Swimming makes your heart and lungs strong. Studies have shown that swimming may also help lower blood pressure and control blood sugar.

3. Good for people with injuries, arthritis, and other conditions

Swimming can be a safe exercise option for people with:

• arthritis
• injury
• disability
• other issues that make high-impact exercises difficult

Swimming may even help reduce some of your pain or improve your recovery from an injury. One study showed that people with osteoarthritis reported significant reductions in joint pain and stiffness, and experienced less physical limitation after engaging in swimming.

4. Beneficial for people with MS, too

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) may also find swimming beneficial. Water makes the limbs buoyant, helping to support them during exercise. Water also provides a gentle resistance.

In one study, a 20-week swimming programme resulted in significant reduction of pain for people with MS. These people also showed improvements with symptoms like fatigue, depression, and disability.

5. Burns calories

Swimming is an efficient way to burn calories. A 160-pound person burns approximately 423 calories an hour while swimming laps at a low or moderate pace and this increases to 715 calories when swimming at a more vigorous pace. A 200-pound person doing the same activities would burn between 528 and 892 calories an hour. A 240-pound person might burn between 632 and 1,068 calories.

To compare these numbers to other popular low-impact activities, that same 160-pound person would only burn around 314 calories walking at 3.5 miles per hour for 60 minutes. Yoga might burn just 183 calories per hour and the elliptical trainer might burn just 365 calories in that hour.

7. Improves your sleep

Swimming may have the power to help you sleep better at night. In a study of older adults with insomnia, participants reported both a boost in quality of life and sleep after engaging in regular aerobic exercise.

Nearly 50 percent of older people experience some level of insomnia, so this is excellent news. The study focused on all types of aerobic exercise, including the elliptical, Stairmaster, bicycle, pool, and exercise videos.

Swimming is accessible to a wide range of people who deal with physical issues that make other exercises, like running, less appealing. That can make swimming a good choice for older adults looking to improve their sleep.

8. Boosts your mood

Researchers evaluated a small group of people with dementia, and saw an improvement in mood after participating in a 12-week aquatic programme. Swimming and aquatic workouts aren’t just psychologically beneficial for people with dementia; exercise has been shown to boost mood in other people, as well.

9. Safe during pregnancy

Pregnant women and their babies can also reap some wonderful rewards from swimming. The water offers physical support for the mother, allowing her to exercise safely in all three trimesters.

Keep in mind that while swimming is generally considered safe during pregnancy, some women may have activity restrictions due to complications in pregnancy. Talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise programme during pregnancy, and if you have complications, ask about activities that are safe.

10. Great for kids, too

Kids need a minimum of 60 minutes of aerobic exercise each day. It doesn’t need to feel like a chore either. Swimming is a fun activity and doesn’t necessarily feel like formal working out.

Your child can do either structured swimming lessons or be part of a swim team with our Swim Stars swimming school. Unstructured swim time with a parent offers a fun activity for both parent and child.