Swimming can make over your muscles, transform you into a cardio goddess, and turn back the aging clock. Need more reason to suit up? We've got 'em right here. Dive in.
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Benefits of Swimming: It Counts as Both Cardio and Strength Training
In swimming, if you aren't moving constantly, you're sinking. (Forced
cardio!) Plus, water is about 800 times denser than air, says swimming
and triathlon coach Earl Walton, owner of Tailwind Endurance in
New York City, so your muscles are under constant resistance. Finally,
no more trying to decide if today is going to be a strength or cardio
day. (We suggest this pool workout for every skill level.)
Benefits of Swimming: It's Easy on the Impact
Yes, the low impact means swimming is a great workout for injured
athletes, who need to take it easy on their joints. But it may also mean
more results: "You can swim at higher intensities on a regular basis
without feeling wear and tear on your body," Walton says. You could have
a super-hard workout one day and still be in the pool the next, he
says. Bonus: Research in the International Journal of Sports Medicine shows swimming is better than straight-up rest for exercise recovery, for when you want to take it easy.
Benefits of Swimming: It's Great for Your Lungs
When your face is under water, oxygen is at a premium. In turn, your
body adapts to use oxygen more efficiently, Walton says. Plus, it learns
to take in more fresh air with every breath, and expel more carbon
dioxide with every exhalation. A study in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology even
found that swimmers had better tidal volume (the amount of air that
moves in and out of the lungs during relaxed breathing) compared to
runners. This results in lower resting heart rates, lower blood
pressure, and, as you'll see next, better running performance.
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Benefits of Swimming: It Makes You a Better Runner
By increasing your ability to take in and effectively use oxygen,
swimming increases your endurance capacity like crazy, Walton says.
That's great news if you're hoping to complete your first half-marathon
this year. It also means you can run faster mile after mile without
getting winded. In a 2013 Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports study,
swimmers who followed a controlled breathing technique (taking two
breaths per pool length) improved their running economy by 6 percent
after just 12 swim sessions. Air-fueled benefits aside, swimming trains
your glutes and hamstrings, your core, and your shoulders—all of which
are needed for improved running form and performances, Walton says.
Benefits of Swimming: Anyone Can Do It
Whether you're recovering from an injury, pregnant (Walton has
trained women in the pool on their due dates), a new mom, or an Ironman
competitor, swimming can give you a great workout (um, as long as
you—you know—know how to swim). You control the pace, intensity, and what you get out of every session, he says.
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Benefits of Swimming: It Slashes Major Stress
While exercise-induced endorphins will do wonders for your stress
levels, getting in the water for your workout may have its own special
brand of mood-boosting benefits, Walton says. Being submerged in water
dulls the amount of sensory information that bombards your body, helping
to bring on feelings of calm, according to a study published in Pain Research & Management.
Researchers found that regular flotation tank sessions were effective
at relieving symptoms in patients suffering from conditions related to
chronic stress. No wonder you love soaking in the bathtub.
Benefits of Swimming: It Turns Back the Clock
Regular swimmers are biologically 20 years younger than their
driver's licenses say they are, according to research from Indiana
University. Scientists say that, even up until your 70th birthday,
swimming affects blood pressure, cholesterol levels, cardiovascular
performance, central nervous system health, cognitive functioning,
muscle mass, and blood chemistry to be much more similar to that of your
younger self. Who needs night cream?
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Benefits of Swimming: It Hits Otherwise Underworked Muscles
"You don't sit at your desk with your arms over your head," Walton
says. But when you're in the pool, your arms are all over the place,
meaning you need to work your often-neglected lats, deltoids, and traps,
he says. And we know you aren't targeting those when you're on a bike
or pounding the pavement. Plus, since so much of swimming is about
staying balanced and level in the water (while both your arms and legs
are moving, mind you), swimming helps you develop the deep stabilizing
muscles in your core and lower back that women often miss.
Benefits of Swimming: It Makes You Smarter
Blood flow to the brain increased by up to 14 percent when men submerged themselves in water up to their hearts, according to a Journal of Physiology study.
Researchers believe water's pressure on the chest cavity may have
something to do with it, and they are now studying whether water-based
workouts improve blood flow to the brain better than do land-based ones.
Stay tuned.
Benefits of Swimming: It Opens You Up to Awesome Experiences
Want to hop off the back of a boat? Swim across the San Francisco
Bay? Go snorkeling in the Bahamas? Win every game of Marco Polo?
Mastering swimming will help you do all that, Walton says. "Swimming's a
life skill. It opens the doors to a lot of fun stuff."
