The Many Benefits Of Swimming For The Body And Mind
Swimming is the Best Exercise
A lot of people do not realize how many benefits swimming offers. Swimming is excellent exercise, tiring, challenging and calming. There is no need to purchase expensive equipment since all that is necessary is a swim suit and a pool or the ocean. Athletes and retirees swim to help control their arthritis and families can have a lot of fun spending time in the water together.
The Swimming Movements
In order to push through the water, you have to engage different muscle groups at the same time. This includes your core, neck, pecs and derriere. This provides the body with a more active and effective workout then numerous activities including biking or running. Where most exercise focuses on one specific set of muscles, swimming engages the entire body.
Increasing Lung Capacity
Breathing is important for day to day life. You have to maintain your breathing while hiking or walking up a hill. Taking a deep and calming breath after finishing an important project, leaving work or going to sleep promotes a feeling of calm. The way you breathe when you are swimming increases your lung capacity. This is due to the rhythm you establish for your respiratory pace between breathing and movement.
Your Core
Exercises such as running, yoga, hiking and biking can negatively impact your joints. Swimming builds your endurance and strength without any negative impact on your joints while building up your core and strengthening your muscles. This will provide you with additional strength for other activities.
The Peace of Floating
Floating on the water takes away stress, demands, noise, expectations, medications, bills, budgets and so much more. This will enable you to let go of everything and simply relax. The water becomes your sacred and personal space and the solitude is freeing. This provides both mental and physical peace. Floating will leave you refreshed and ready to continue with your life without the burden of unmanageable stress on your shoulders. You can even research inground pools Pensacola to get a pool of your own.
A Form of Meditation
Swimming is actually a type of meditation. During the time you spend swimming, you are not looking at anything or anyone. Any noises or disturbances in the background seem to disappear. You are alone with the flow of the water and nothing but your personal thoughts. Your thoughts will keep pace with the movement of your limbs and your breathing for an amazing sense of serenity. Many individuals swim to clear their thoughts and often find a solution to their problems in the quiet of the water. Everyone requires some time alone to escape from the constant buzz, expectations and conversations.
Decreasing Anxiety
A nice swim is usually exhausting. This loosens the limbs, relaxes the mind and most likely makes you think about taking a nice nap. Swimming a few laps helps decrease anxiety, stress and uncertainty. Swimming is also an excellent way to train your mind to use physical activity to relax instead of alcohol, ice cream or a chocolate bar.
The Common Adage
One of the most common adages you have probably heard is just sleep on it. Swimming on it works even better when issues at home or at work are on your mind. Something about being alone in the water, the repetitive motions and the contained space can help focus your thoughts. This will often lead you to a solution you may not have though of under different conditions. When you combine this with an excellent physical workout, you are much better off if you spend your time swimming than sitting on your sofa watching television.
The Amazing Capabilities
You can do things on the water you are unable to do on land. You are more flexible and can perform somersaults, handstands, kicks and turns in true acrobatic style. You can experiment with you body in the way you move that is safe and secure. An added bonus is the fact that swimming burns off a lot of calories so you do not have to feel guilty when you splurge on the occasional piece of pizza or sundae.