9 benefits of lifeguard and swimming

Lifeguard recertification and the benefits of swimming are great – both physically and mentally – yet swimming is still seen as the stepchild of the sport. That floating around is for old ladies and isn't a real sport, is it? Nothing is less true! 

Swimming keeps both our body and mind healthy. Compared to other sports, such as running, it is much less harmful and you train all muscles. And perhaps most importantly: the calorie consumption of swimming is high! Half an hour of swimming is equivalent to running 10 kilometers. I myself have been swimming 2 kilometers twice a week for 15 years and can only endorse the benefits of swimming. For me the mental aspect is an important advantage. Two kilometers of front crawl is very good mindfulness. Just listening to my own breathing and looking at the pool tiles is very relaxing and helps to organize my thoughts.

Swimming gives both your body and mind a positive boost

One of the biggest benefits of swimming is the positive boost both your body and mind get from regular laps. Swimming is a cardiovascular activity. During such a cardiovascular training you produce the hormone serotonin. Serotine improves your mood and boosts your self-confidence. Starting the day with an hour of swimming laps has a positive effect on your entire day. You have more energy and feel good about yourself.

Tip: The best way to make swimming a routine is to choose regular days for it. This way you get to know the solid core of swimmers and they will miss you if you don't come. This is a nice stick behind the door. When the alarm goes off, don't lie down and think because then you'll come up with 100 reasons not to go. Just put on that bathing suit and go, don't think about it. Take your shampoo to the pool so that you have already washed your hair when you go home, otherwise this swimming routine will cost you a lot of time.

Advantage swimming: it strengthens the muscles

You build muscle mass through the resistance of the water. You will benefit greatly from this, especially if you alternate different swimming strokes. Swimming is a full body workout, which means that you train both your upper and lower body. Your entire body benefits from swimming. If you, like me, have a muscle-related condition, swimming is highly recommended. Your muscles become stronger and in my case I have less pain in daily life and function better. Besides the mental aspect, this is one of the biggest benefits of swimming for me.

Tip: plan a sprint every few laps of the front crawl and catch your breath with a lap of breaststroke. This way you work on your condition as well as on your different muscles. If you are not a front crawl swimmer, you can do a sprint breaststroke and then a lap backstroke.

Swimming increases lung capacity

Certainly front crawl requires a good breathing technique otherwise you will be out of breath within one lap. Once you have mastered this technique, you will soon notice that your lung capacity is increasing. Instead of breathing every 2 beats, with good technique and good lung capacity you can breathe every 4 beats. You also benefit greatly from a good lung capacity in everyday life. Climbing stairs, sprinting on the soccer field with your kids, or quickly cycling to the supermarket will all become easier. Whatever benefits your mental health.

Tip: breathing every 4 strokes works very well if you also want to make your swimming workout a mindfulness. You lie with your head under water almost non-stop and have no distraction from everything that happens in the pool. A nice way to relax your mind and reduce stress.

Also Read About: Lifeguard Class USA

Benefit swimming : strengthens the bones

Although swimming is a low impact sport, it still increases your bone density. Although swimmers have a lower bone density than, for example, runners, they have a higher bone density than non-athletes.

Tip: combine your swimming workout with, for example, walking or running to maximize your bone density and reduce the risk of bone fractures.

Swimming reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease

Like all other cardiovascular sports, swimming lowers your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. This reduces your risk of getting cardiovascular disease. You have to make sure that your heart rate goes up well during your training, a little floating around is not enough. Cardiovascular diseases are an important cause of death in the Netherlands, the fact that you can reduce the risk of such a condition seems to me to be a really great advantage of swimming and a reason to purchase a swimming pool subscription today!

Tip: to get your heart rate up properly, you can do a HIIT . This is recommended for advanced swimmers. Make sure you have a bottle of water with you, swimming makes you thirsty.