The Mental and Physical Benefits of Swimming for Weight Loss

December 7, 2022

Exercising can be difficult at any size for so many different reasons. The benefits of swimming will not only make your weight loss journey a little easier... it will also provide other health benefits.

Here you’ll find how swimming can help you lose weight while improving your mental and physical health.

Benefits of Swimming for Weight Loss, Physical and Mental Health

Swimming provides the following benefits due to which you should add this exercise to your regular fitness regime:

When you swim, all the major muscle groups in your body work out simultaneously, which helps you burn more calories than any other exercise. As a result, your weight will drop quickly if you add swimming to your daily routine.

Swimming lowers blood pressure and strengthens your heart muscles and blood vessels, reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. When your cardiovascular health is good, your overall health and wellness improve significantly.

Did you ever notice the difference between the body of an active swimmer and someone who does other fitness exercises? A swimmer has a better body shape and muscle strength. Other exercises demand time and persistence to help you achieve a fit and lean body.

As soon as you cross 25, collagen production decreases in your skin every year. When you’re young, your skin looks firm and tight due to collagen. The continuously decreasing collagen will make your skin loose and speed up aging. If you don’t want to age soon, swimming can save you from this by keeping your skin tight for a long time.

Lower lung capacity is one of the major causes of asthma. Your asthma becomes severe with a decrease in lung capacity. Breathing exercises, where you have to hold your breath, like swimming, can increase your lung capacity and gives you more control over your breathing. With time, your asthma will get better.

Swimming can help you deal with the symptoms if you have multiple sclerosis. During swimming, limbs remain floating and water provides support and resistance that can help ease symptoms of multiple sclerosis. In addition, studies prove that swimming can reduce pain in people with multiple sclerosis.

If you swim regularly, it can help you combat irregular sleep. A study was conducted with older adults who were suffering from insomnia. The results showed that their quality of sleep and life improved significantly when they indulged themselves in some aerobic exercise. The aerobic exercises included in the study were running, swimming, cycling etc. Swimming is an easy way to improve sleep for older adults who find running or other aerobic exercises challenging.

During any exercise, your body releases endorphins, known as mood elevating hormones. In 2014, a study was done to analyze the effect of swimming on mood, and it showed that people who swam regularly have better moods than those who didn’t.

Swimming is considered a safe exercise during pregnancy for the mother and fetus. Women can swim in all three trimesters without any harm to the fetus or complications in their pregnancy. In fact, women who swim regularly during pregnancy give birth to children with well-developed brains and no neurological defects.

To reduce stress levels, you must provide your brain with a healthy distraction. Swimming is a fun activity that will help your brain get rid of anxiety. When your brain is working more actively, your stress levels will fall automatically.

Both injury and disability can negatively impact a person’s performance during exercise. It’s not easy to lift weights or pull your body too much in such situations. Water gently supports your muscles which makes swimming an effective exercise even during injury or disability.

Your body performs better when your brain is working efficiently. Swimming can improve memory, cognitive performance and thinking skills. It also increases the blood flow to the brain, reduces insulin resistance and promotes the production of new brain cells. All these factors will collectively improve your brain functioning.

You have 50% higher chances of living longer if you swim than those who perform other exercises such as walking and running. The benefits of swimming keeps you physically and mentally healthy, improving your overall health and longevity.

What’s the Best Time to Swim For Weight Loss?

Swim in the morning if you want to lose weight quickly. When you swim in the morning, you’re in the fasting condition and hence can burn more calories and consume more fat reserves to get energy. When your fat deposits deplete, your weight loss efforts will show more visible results.

How to Get the Most Out of Swimming For Weight Loss?

Follow the following tips to get the most out of swimming for weight loss:

• Swim for 30-40 minutes at least thrice a week.
• Always begin with a 10 minutes warm session.
• Do all the strokes to lose weight quickly. Some of the most effective strokes include freestyle kick, free pull, interval swimming and pull sidekick.
• To burn calories very quickly, try butterfly stroke.

Bottom Line

Weight loss when your weight is much higher than your ideal body weight or when you have had weight loss surgery becomes the most challenging scenario. But it can become easy for you if you’re an active swimmer. Your hobby will not only keep you in shape but will also provide mental and physical health benefits. In this detailed article, we have explained how swimming is beneficial for weight loss, physical and mental health!

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