As children, almost all of us had swimming lessons with Lifeguard Recertification and enjoyed many more dives afterwards. At children's parties and on vacation, you probably went crazy when the activity was scheduled. But why don't we do this so much later in life?
Because it's still super fun! And beyond that, swimming is
one of the healthiest sports to practice. Few sports are as good for your body
as swimming! Read the 4 benefits of swimming as a workout below and there is a
good chance that you will be eager to take a dip just like before.
BENEFITS OF
SWIMMING
1.
Conditional
Like running, swimming is a form of cardio. One of the best
benefits of swimming is that you train your fitness. You also burn a lot of
calories with it. The more often you go swimming, the better you will notice
that you can also sustain other activities, such as climbing stairs or lifting
heavy groceries, better and longer. Swimming is very intensive, so you will
quickly improve your lung capacity. At first you may be out of breath after a
few laps, but don't give up and keep going regularly! Then you notice how
quickly you are actually working on your fitness. Your circulation and lung
capacity will thank you. Moreover, it is always nice and warm in a swimming
pool and you can work on your condition in a very chilled way by, for example,
going swimming with a good friend.
2. Muscles
While swimming, you don't just use your leg muscles as you
do with cycling and running. Your whole body will be used and all your muscles
will be engaged. In addition, you are lighter in the water, which ensures that
your muscles are, as it were, supported by the water and therefore will not be
overloaded so quickly. You train all muscles automatically in a balanced way.
An ideal sport for beginners to build fitness and gently build muscle mass.
In addition, a perfect sport to combine with strength
sports. If you already have a trained body and, for example, have had a heavy
leg day, it is not so wise to do a heavy workout in the gym or a run again.
Swimming for half an hour to an hour can help you give your body some extra
shape. It helps you swim out the muscle pain at the same time. The chance of
overloading with swimming is virtually nil.
3.
Combustion
Depending on how intensively you swim laps, swimming can
burn 500 to 750 calories per hour. And that's a lot compared to many other sports!
This is of course because you use many different muscles while swimming.
Because swimming helps to burn fat quickly, it is also a good sport for anyone
who wants to lose weight in a fun way.
Running and cycling are often seen as heavy sports by overweight
people. Due to being overweight, these sports can actually cause weight
problems and/or injuries. Swimming is then a perfect sport as a first step.
Because you don't get any problems with your joints from swimming laps and yet
you build a fitter body relatively quickly. For many people, being active in
the water does not feel like sport, but as a pleasant way of moving. Especially
when you go with a swimming buddy and have a nice chat while you continue to
swim laps, the hour is over in no time with Lifeguard Class USA.
4. Injuries
You can ALWAYS swim! One of the most common excuses for not
exercising or why people are unable to lose weight is: I have an injury. And
indeed, with injuries you often can't run or go to the gym. But you can swim!
In fact, it's really good to go swimming if you have an injury! You can even
get fit and strong again faster.
It is not for nothing that many doctors recommend swimming as a rehabilitation method after people have broken something or have had a serious accident. If you really have specific physical limitations, it is always a good idea to consult a doctor or your physiotherapist. But in most cases this one will also confirm that you can swim just fine! Maybe you should leave certain strokes for a while, but then there are always plenty of options left! Swimming can't just help you with an existing injury. Because the sport itself is not prone to injury at all, it is also a very good option for recovery training after a (half) marathon or heavy training in the gym. And of course very suitable for injury-prone people to be able to keep moving regularly.