Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for people of all ages and fitness levels. It provides a total-body workout, strengthens muscles and bones, increases your metabolic rate and helps to relieve stress. It can be done anytime, day or night, and is a fun way to spend time with friends.
Swimming has been a part of human culture since prehistoric times, with evidence in cave paintings and the Epic of Gilgamesh. It became a popular sport during the Greek and Roman Olympic games, and later spread throughout Europe. Today, it is a widely-practiced sport with competitions held at local, national, and international levels. It is also a very useful life skill, enabling people to save themselves or others from drowning.
When you’re new to swimming, it’s best to start with short sessions of about 20 minutes each. This allows you to get the full benefits of the exercise without overdoing it and potentially injuring yourself. Once you’re able to easily swim laps and move on to intermediate workouts, it’s a good idea to increase the duration of your swimming sessions to 45 minutes or more each.
If you’re interested in taking your swimming to the next level, try adding a few short bursts of speed work to your session. This will help you improve your overall speed and endurance while keeping your technique in check. Using a structured Training Plan in the MySwimPro app can make it easy to build up to these longer sessions and stay injury-free.
In order to become a better swimmer, you must be willing to put in the work. Learning a new skill isn’t always instantaneous, so it’s important to be patient and continue to practice regularly. If you can, schedule a weekly swim in your calendar so you’ll be more likely to stick with your training regiment.
For beginners, it’s a good idea to practice in water that’s hip or waist-deep. If the water is too deep, it can be intimidating and may cause you to panic, swallow some water or even drown. Additionally, it’s important to learn how to breathe properly underwater. This means exhaling through your nose or mouth as you press into the water, while inhaling when you pop back up.
In addition to boosting your cardiovascular health, swimming can also help you relieve stress and strengthen your immune system. It also helps prevent and treat joint pain caused by arthritis, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other chronic conditions. It’s a low-impact activity that can help people who have injuries or pain in their knees, hips, and ankles. In fact, researchers have found that swimming can help improve cognitive function in the brain. A study published in Physiological Reports found that participants who completed a 20-minute, moderate-intensity swim showed improved responses on tests that measured visual information processing and memory. This suggests that swimming may be an effective treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It’s also been shown to alleviate depression, anxiety, and PTSD.