The Benefit of Swimming for Exercise

The Benefit of Swimming for ExerciseSwimming is a fun way to keep healthy and fit while making new friends. If you enjoy swimming and don’t particularly like other forms of exercise, swimming is the way to go. It is suitable for everyone, and its benefits are not only limited to physical activity but also extend to improved mental health. Health experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly, making swimming the perfect tool for exercising your body and improving your cardiovascular health. Even better, if you hate running, swimming can burn as many calories as an hour of running without impacting your joints and bones. Keep reading to find out more about the fantastic benefits of swimming.

Full Body Workout

Swimming engages nearly all the muscles in the body, forcing the legs, torso, arms, and stomach to work simultaneously by propelling yourself into the water. The water buoyancy is also perfect for people with mobility issues since there is no pressure on the joints.

Additionally, 30 minutes in the water is almost equivalent to 45 minutes of the same exercises on land. Swimming also increases your heart rate without pressuring or stressing your body; it improves endurance, muscle strength, and tone. You can switch up various strokes to focus on different muscle groups such as backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle, butterfly, and sidestroke.

Swimming Is Ideal for All Ages

Anyone can learn to swim from a very young age and at their own pace. There are designated areas in the swimming pools for beginners and kids to practice and learn their swimming skills at a gradual pace under the supervision of a lifeguard. Kids require at least an hour of aerobic activity every day, and swimming is a fun way to keep fit without feeling like it is a chore. An Australian study has shown that swimming can increase children’s motor skills and enable them to master new skills earlier than kids who do not swim.

Swimming is also suitable for some people who struggle with other types of exercise. Ensure your kid(s) is under constant supervision to avoid the risk of drowning.

Improves Cardiovascular Strength

According to studies, women who swim half an hour a day reduce the risk of heart disease by 30 to 40 percent. Swimming provides low-impact cardio exercises making your heart and lungs stronger and enabling blood to pump more efficiently throughout your body.

Increased heart rate allows your body to burn more calories, fat, and energy while reducing blood pressure levels. Swimming also helps improve the flexibility of the cells lining the arteries, raises good cholesterol levels, minimizes the risk of a stroke, and controls blood sugar levels. Research also shows that swimming can help reduce inflammation that might lead to atherosclerosis due to increased cardio activity.

Swimming Burns Calories and Maintains a Healthy Weight

Swimming can effectively burn calories. You can burn over 250 calories in 30 minutes of recreational swimming and around 400 calories in vigorous swimming. This also depends on the swimming intensity and your body weight. This beats more than double cycling, running, and waking. For every ten minutes of swimming, you can lose weight from the different styles of swimming. For example, you can lose 80 calories from backstroke, 100 calories from freestyle, 60 calories in breaststroke, and 150 calories from butterfly stroke.

Swimming Reduces Stress and Improves Mental Health

Swimming helps the body to relax and de-stress by lowering anxiety and depression, relieving tension, improving sleeping patterns, and increasing energy levels. There is a lot of breathing control during swimming, forcing you to take deeper, controlled breaths, leading to a relieved and peaceful breathing rhythm.

Swimming can benefit people with fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis symptoms by decreasing their anxiety and improving their mood. It can also help children with developmental disabilities better connect with family members. Additionally, swimming positively improves pregnant women’s mental health. All this can be attributed to the release of serotonin (a feel-good hormone), a mood stabilizer.

Another way swimming reduces stress levels is through the unique movement patterns in the water. When swimming in a horizontal position, the body gets rid of any accumulated pressure in the lower back and shoulders from the various activities you perform throughout the day.

Swimming Lowers the Risk of Diabetes

Swimming helps keep diabetes away and also benefits those who already have diabetes. Aerobic activity helps reduce the risk of diabetes or those with the condition by burning calories and improving cholesterol levels. You can try swimming at least thrice a week for a minimum of ten minutes to fully reap the benefits of swimming, then gradually increase the time and intensity as tolerated.

Ensure you monitor blood sugar levels and have a snack on standby if you have diabetes, and don’t forget to inform the lifeguard that you are diabetic for safety reasons. If you swim the breaststroke at least thrice a week for half an hour, you can reduce your risk of diabetes by over 10%. Swimming as a form of aerobic exercise may increase insulin sensitivity.

Swimming Can Help with Arthritis

Swimming can help with arthritis, disability, injury, and other conditions that may make high-impact exercises difficult. Water-based activities can help improve the use of the joints and limbs without aggravating arthritis or joint injuries. This is because the buoyancy of the water displaces the stress and weight on the joints. Water-based exercises can also help with joint stiffness and pain management while also helping improve injury recovery.

Swimming Can Help People with Asthma

Swimming helps improve breathing control and improve lung capacity. The humid air of indoor pools can help with asthma. Some studies indicate that the chlorine and chemical used to treat pools can worsen asthma symptoms and increase the risk for asthma. It can help if you use a pool with salty water instead of chlorine.

Swimming Improves Flexibility

Repetitively reaching, pulling, stretching, twisting and various strokes involved in swimming help improve body flexibility. Your arms and ankles become stretched out and flexible as you kick and push away from the water’s pressure and waves.

The Takeaway

Swimming has multiple health and recreational benefits for the body, mind, and soul. It is essential to stay hydrated and practice safe swimming practices and pool etiquette. If you are a first-timer, take swimming lessons and if possible, swim in areas that are under lifeguard supervision. Once you become a confident swimmer, you can try a few laps that keep your heart rate elevated for at least half an hour. If you feel exhausted, take breaks and do not exert yourself. Do not forget to have fun while at it.

For more information please contact Anderson Integrated Health Center.

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Dr. Theresa Anderson DC, DABCI

An experienced doctor of chiropractic with a diplomate as a chiropractic internist, I offer natural solutions to chronic health conditions by implementing a strategic and individualized treatment plan for each patient. I’ve had the privilege of helping patients heal from chronic conditions to live a happier, healthier life.

Anatomy and Physiology teacher who is passionate about health and wellness and hopes to ignite that same respect and awe of the human body into her pupils.

I’m dedicated, loyal and always seeking to improve my science and craft, learn new discoveries in my field, and embrace new challenges.

  • 2023 Diplomate American Board Chiropractic Internist (DABCI)

  • 2018 Certified Medical Examiner (CME)

  • 2000 Doctor of Chiropractic (DC)

  • 1996 Bachelor of Liberal Arts, Elementary Education K-8
  • Adjunct Faculty: Anatomy & Physiology I lecture and lab (2023 – Present)
    Chattahoochee Technical College, North Metro Campus, Acworth, Ga

  • Teacher: Anatomy & Physiology On-level and Honors, High School Seniors (2017 – Present)
    Science Department Head (2023)
    Cornerstone Preparatory Academy, Acworth, Ga 30101

I enjoy any outdoor sports and activities such as hiking and
gardening.

I’m also an animal lover who has a heart for stray animals.

Beginner with Norwegian language

Dr. Micheal Anderson DC, DABCI

Dr. Anderson is a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic, practicing in Dallas, GA. He has received extensive post-doctorate training in Specific Upper Cervical adjusting procedures and is certified through Knee Chest Upper Cervical Specific (K.C.U.C.S.).

After 10 years of competing in the sport of powerlifting at the state and national level, reaching Collegiate first team All-American status, and competing on the US National Team at the World Championships in the Czech Republic in 1997, I suffered severe back pain and was only 24 years old. I was told I had disc problems and would need to stop competing. I found a chiropractor in Baltimore, Maryland and began care with fantastic results. As my body healed, I continued my PL career, and decided I wanted to help others receive health naturally through chiropractic care.

I was able to continue my PL career, but still had occasional pain, as well as digestive issues, stomach pain, and skin problems. While in school, I came across an amazing chiropractic procedure called Upper Cervical Specific Chiropractic. After experiencing this type of care, my health went to the next level, and my symptoms completely resolved over the next 3 years. By now I was 30 years old, extremely healthy, and looking to share my Upper Cervical chiropractic health knowledge with all.

Dr. Anderson did his undergraduate studies at Towson State University in Baltimore Maryland and graduated with a degree in Marketing and Sports Management. Then he graduated in 1995 from Logan College of Chiropractic in Chesterfield, Missouri. Dr. Anderson continued his education with postgraduate work in upper cervical care getting certified from Michael Kale in 1996. He earned master certification in KCUCS Upper Cervical procedure in 2001. Since then, he has been teaching doctors around the world KCUCS Upper Cervical procedure. Dr. Anderson also has DABCI functional health training and certification.

  • Clinical Vision Research: Kessinger Clinic, 1996.

  • Clinical Respiration Research: Kessinger Clinic, 1996

  • Incidence of Symptomatic Reactions to Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care and their Effects on Satisfaction and Clinical Outcomes: Participating Field Doctor March 2008

  • Improvement in Pattern Analysis, Heart Rate Variability & Symptoms Following Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care 2013

  • Pulse pressure findings following upper cervical care: a practice-based observational study 2019

The goal of Anderson Integrated Health Center’s upper cervical specific chiropractic care is to remove interference to the nervous system by making a correction that allows the body to heal itself. The procedure utilized by Anderson Integrated Health Center works with the body’s innate capacity to heal itself when the nervous system is free from interference. This procedure is gentle and effective for infants to the elderly. Computerized diagnostic instrumentation is utilized to determine if a person can be helped with this procedure. Helping patients who have suffered for years with no relief is very rewarding. But probably what Dr. Anderson enjoys the most is seeing young children recover from health problems that prevents them from having to suffer for a lifetime.

Dr. Anderson resides in metro Atlanta with his wife Theresa and two children, Jeremiah and Hope. He enjoys family time, his children’s sports, coaching his son’s basketball team, racquetball, and staying active in a challenging race like the Tough Mudder. Dr. Mike met his wife at chiropractic school in Chesterfield, Missouri and Dr. Theresa went on to become an upper cervical doctor herself. She paused her career to be a full-time home-school mother, and has returned to practice alongside her husband. Dr. Mike Anderson also has strong faith in his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and enjoys being a long-time member at Westridge Church in Dallas, Georgia.

In addition to staying physically active, Dr. Anderson understands the importance of excellent nutrition to achieve great health. He and his family have achieved a healthy lifestyle without the use of pharmaceuticals, including vaccines, and he has been drug-free since 1993. He thanks God for the health his family enjoys, knowing that God gave us natural ways to live a healthy life!