health benefits of swimming

Swimming is a complete exercise as it works for both body and mind. Also, it is good for people of all ages. It can even help children with cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy is a disability that affects about 4 kids in 1000 newborns. Children with CP have difficulty moving their limbs. Swimming can help them improve their motor functions in the long run.

Here’re 10 health benefits of swimming

1. It helps in weight loss as you can burn more calories with swimming exercises. Also, it will make burning calories a breeze for you.
2. It builds bone strength and provides long-term relief from common joint problems like arthritis. It is more helpful for aging people that are susceptible to bone loss.
3. It is a blessing for people living sedentary life as they are in the high-risk zone of getting heart attacks. But they can improve their cardiovascular health with swimming.
4. It improves flexibility in bones and joints. You will feel more energetic after every swimming session.
5. It improves body coordination as it involves the movement of hands, legs, chest, and back muscles to propel the body forward.
6. It increases neurogenesis that reduces the risk of brain cell death that could lead to temporal lobe epilepsy. A study on laboratory rats proved that swimming works on the brain.
7. It improves asthmatic conditions. Swimming can reduce the occurrence and severity of asthmatic attacks among asthmatic people. Also, it can prevent the development of asthma in healthy people.
8. It improves sleep quality. Swimming is a complete exercise for the entire body. It makes all the muscles and brain cells work. It will make you feel exhausted so you can sleep better.
9. It supports mental health by making the brain cells work. Your intelligence level will increase after starting swimming.
10. It slows down the aging process. Since it works for the entire body, you can expect good results on your overall health that will make you healthier in the long run.

Swimming is a great exercise and you will be surprised to know that you can choose an exercise that you are comfortable with. Swimming can largely be categorized into six exercises according to position and hand movements.

1. Freestyle

Beginners should start with freestyle swimming as it provides immense flexibility to move your hands and feet to kick the water.

How To:

• Jump in the pool with your face down and hands extended above your head
• Take your right hand in the water, push the water back, and bring it to the starting position
• Now push the water back with the left hand
• Be quick in pushing water back with your hands one-by-one to move forward

2. Backstroke

Here you float on your back just like you lie on a bed and use your hand movements to move forward.

How To:

• Float in the pool on your back with your hands
• Lift your right hand out of the water and move in a clockwise circle into the water
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