JOIN USMy Olympic coach once told me, "The water is your friend, you don't have to fight it. Just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move." This remains one of my favourite teachings for the element of a sport that has been at the centre of my life. From my very first, terrified steps into the pool, at the age of seven, my journey as a competitive swimmer has taught me great life lessons and has helped me stay fit for two decades.
Even if you are not competing, swimming as a sport is a fantastic way to stay healthy. Apart from being a fun way to cool down once the mercury starts rising, it really is immensely beneficial to your health. While you're splashing about, you're doing wonders for your body and mind.
Here are nine reasons why you need to take up swimming:
1. Cardiovascular fitness: One of the most important benefits of swimming comes from the aerobic nature of this workout. You can improve your cardiopulmonary capacity by swimming for 20 minutes straight with constant rhythm and speed. Your heart beats at a higher heart rate than it would during a jogging or cycling routine, not just because you are moving your body mass forward, but also because you are battling resistance.
2. Build lung capacity: As your breath is somewhat limited in volume and frequency during the workout because of the very nature of the sport, swimming helps develop greater lung capacity. The consistent intake of oxygen offers both aerobic and anaerobic gains in the same workout. Remember as with anything you do, practice makes perfect. The more you practice your breathing while swimming, the more you will improve your lung capacity.
3. Flexibility & suppleness: When strokes are performed correctly, your muscles lengthen and become flexible, thus preventing injury. As we get older, our body's natural ability to stay flexible decreases, and therefore, joints are less mobile. Getting into the pool to do a few laps, can keep your joints mobile, and flexible.
4. Muscle toning: The effort needed to overcome water resistance tones muscles. Swimming is the ultimate, full body workout and you end up working muscles that you didn't even know you had! Swimming strengthens muscles all the way from the neck and upper back right down to the calves and ankles. While a few laps of the local pool every week is unlikely to result in equivalent changes to your torso, swimming will quickly make muscles all over your body bigger and stronger.
5. Metabolism & fat burning: An hour of swimming burns 500 calories. However, for swimming to burn excess calories, proper nutrition is a must. A boost of carbohydrates before a swim routine and protein intake post training are important requisites for being able to work harder, for a longer time.
6. Healing & rehabilitation: Prevention is great, but curing an injured ligament is another reason dive in! From injured athletes to rehabilitating patients, who have experienced some form of body trauma, water works well for recovery. Swimming improves posture, making it an excellent exercise for people with back issues.
7. Relatively injury-free: Swimming offers a fabulous workout putting stress on your joints, as the water supports your bodyweight, so it's completely non-weight-bearing, making injuries in the pool quite rare.
8. Cross fitness: Swimming offers elite or amateur athletes, a low impact workout that builds fitness and strength and also aids recovery. If you don't enjoy doing laps, make the pool your new gym, by stretching and lifting weights in the water.
9. Mental fitness: Swimming is also a great way to clear your head and unwind after a taxing day at work. The rhythmic repetition of swimming can relax you. Moreover, a longer workout will release pain-killing, euphoria-producing endorphins that promote a keen sense of well-being. Regular swim workouts help on an emotional level, too. I'm often invited to talk to corporates about my lessons for life from a lifetime in sport. Swimming teaches you the importance of passion, discipline, sacrifice, and other key skills to navigate through the complexities of life.
The discipline it takes to commit to swimming and to push yourself through tough workouts improves self-esteem, instils confidence that other hurdles can be overcome, and inspires dedication to taking care of yourself in all facets of life. All of this leads to feeling really good about yourself, inside and out.
(The author is an Olympian & Speedo fitness mentor)