Swimming is one of the most popular and accessible recreational activities in the world. It’s a fun, easy-to-learn sport that offers a wide range of physical, mental and social benefits. It’s also a great way to stay fit and healthy, no matter what your age or level of fitness is.
Swimming burns more calories than walking, and is a good choice for people with health and fitness goals who prefer low-impact workouts. It’s an aerobic exercise that improves circulation, heart function and body composition, promoting weight loss, and it can increase muscle tone.
It’s a stress-relieving activity for adults, too! Studies show that a 15-minute swim can help relieve stress, lower blood pressure and relax the nervous system. It can even boost self-confidence, improving your mental well-being and self-esteem, and it may also help reduce anxiety and depression symptoms in those who suffer from these conditions.
You can learn to swim in a variety of ways, but it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and keep yourself safe at all times. Always use proper safety gear and follow the pool’s rules, especially on the edge. If you’re unsure about your abilities, seek a qualified instructor to help you develop your skills.
A good swimming teacher will be able to teach you how to swim in the safest way possible, which means you’ll be able to avoid injuries. It’s also a good idea to get a few lessons every week, which will accelerate your learning pace and help you develop the skills you need to progress quickly.
Getting into the water can be scary, but once you’ve spent time acclimatising to the pool’s temperature and pressure, it’ll become much easier. To make it even easier, a good swimming teacher will teach you how to swim at a slow pace so that you can become familiar with your new environment.
Acclimatising to the water is a long and gradual process, so it’s best to start slowly, making sure to practice proper technique in order to avoid injury. For example, don’t jump into the water without a lifeguard or another adult in sight, and take deep breaths before entering the water, to ensure you can control your breathing.
Once you’ve mastered a few basics like floating and taking deep breaths, it’s time to move on to more complex movements, such as putting your face in the water and bobbing up and down. A good swimming teacher will teach you how to use these techniques in different types of strokes, such as front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke.
Achieve a full-body workout: While each stroke targets different muscles groups, it’s a low-impact exercise that burns a lot of calories. In fact, a 154-pound person who swims slow freestyle laps can burn up to 255 calories in half an hour.
Build strength and endurance: Unlike other workouts that focus on one area of the body, swimming works all the major muscle groups. In fact, some of the most powerful and important muscles in the body are active when swimming, such as the triceps brachii, pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi.