Twelve
good reasons to swim
We all know that swimming is basically good for your health and
fitness but how exactly does it help? Swimming and Swimfit asked
Dr Ian Gordon, a GP and a member of the Great Britain swim team's
medical staff, to provide a dozen reasons to swim for fitness.
1. MUSCLE GROUPS
Swimming is one of the few sports that uses and tones all the important
muscle groups. By varying the stroke and body position in the water,
you can can tone up everything with minimal risk of injury. My experience
of swimmers is that they tend to look more youthful and toned up
than others of the same age.
2.
LOW INJURY RISK
It is the least distressful sport physically that uses all the important
muscle groups without strain. You don't get many serious injuries.
I believe some contact sports have an injury rate 50 to 100 times
as high
3.
FLEXIBILITY
It's good for flexibility and co-ordination. It also aids bodily
functions!
4.
PLEASURABLE
For most of us, floating in water is a generally pleasurable experience
especially when compared to weight lifting, jogging or playing a
ball game in a mudbath. The aquatic environment induces a sense
of wellbeing. And you don't get incredibly sweaty as you do in many
sports.
5.
PREGNANCY
Swimming is a particularly suitable sport for pregnant women. You
are relatively weightless in water so it's easy to do. You can train
when you are pregnant (see pages 8-9) and it helps to maintain suppleness
and general fitness. If you go into labour fit and healthy, the
chances of a successful outcome are greater.
6.
MEDICAL
There is evidence that swimming improves your cardio-vascular system
and overall endurance and that people with cardiac chronic lung
problems benefit. A graded programme is important to make sure you
don't overdo it to start with. After exercise the blood pressure
drops and remains depressed for several hours so there are benefits
for people with hypertension.
7.
PSYCHOLOGICAL
All exercise tends to promote a sense of wellbeing probably mediated
by endorphins in the brain. All exercise is good for people who
are depressed it makes them feel better about themselves. There
is certainly a degree of satisfaction from swimming and training.
8.
DISABILITIES
People with disabilities, such as amputees, can easily participate
in swimming. As a GP, I often recommend patients to join a disabled
swimming club, where they can get specialist help getting in and
out of the water and dedicated water time to enable them to participate
in the sport.
9.
ARTHRITIS
In later life, if you have arthritis in your hips and knees, the
improvement in your muscle tone and strength will give more stability
to the damaged joints. By swimming gently, you build up the muscles
around the joint and hence give some protection to the damaged arthritic
joint.
10.
LONGEVITY
There is evidence that three 20 to 30-minute periods of exercise
per week aids longevity. Swimming is a lifelong sport which you
can do from childhood through to old age. Through masters swimming,
you can if you wish be an active competitor for your whole life.
I don't think there is any sport where you can continue for longer.
People over 100 have competed in masters competitions.
11.
APHRODISIAC?
There is some evidence that swimming increases the sex drive of
both men and women and that people who participate in regular exercise
have a more active sex life! The active athlete is better in this
than the couch potato!
12.
POPULAR
Surveys suggest that apart from angling, swimming is the most popular
sport.
Source:
Swim Fit
