10 amazing benefits of swimming for runners

1. Helps prevent injuries

Of all the low-impact cross-training exercises with lifeguard certificate near me—including cycling, the elliptical, and rowing—swimming causes the least biomechanical stress on the body due to its low impact on the joints, which It becomes the favorited of runners when it comes to avoiding or rehabilitating from an injury. But as we have said before, it helps prevent injuries, but it does not cure them.

2. Activates the circulatory system

When you exercise in a horizontal position, blood return is greater because the blood does not have to deal with gravity when moving through the body. In addition, when we swim, the water exerts a massage-like effect on the muscles, which activates the blood and promotes its circulation. If you suffer, for example, from tired legs or varicose veins, swimming is a good way to relieve heavy legs.

3. Promotes the development of greater resistance

Swimming increases lung capacity and strengthens bones, which translates into a more resistant organism. To build endurance in swimming it is essential to keep your heart rate constant throughout your workout, unlike speed training where you swim for short periods at maximum intensity followed by a fairly long rest to recover your heart rate.

However, while swimming helps maintain fitness when you have an injury, it does not cure it. The best thing an injured runner can do to get back on their feet is to find the root cause of their injury and do specific strengthening exercises to correct it.

4. Increases lung capacity

As blood return is greater, the heart pumps harder to keep blood circulating through the muscles. Many athletes achieve their VO2 max not on land, but in the pool. One way to increase cardiovascular effort when swimming is to introduce high-intensity intervals, such as 100-meter sprints with 10 seconds of rest in between. If you do series or fartlek when you run, then do something similar in the pool.

5. Improves mood

When we swim, as when we do any high-intensity activity such as running or cycling, we secrete chemicals known as endorphins that act as neurotransmitters and are responsible for activating feelings of happiness, fullness and even euphoria both during and after training.

Swimming is a low-impact sport that does not damage the spine or the joints. By floating through the water, it is easier on the joints than other contact sports. It is a soft discipline since the water cushions. This makes them less worn and better preserved. The density of water means that when we swim, the spine does not have to support the entire weight of the body.

6. Increases self-esteem

Swimming helps cells repair any brain damage at the molecular and behavioural level, markedly alleviating symptoms of depression. According to a study published in the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), swimming, like other athletic disciplines, improves mood due to a considerable increase in blood circulation in the brain and its effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis -adrenal” (HPA), an essential part of the brain that controls stress.

7. Improve concentration

Another of the effects of swimming on the brain is that it favors the ability to concentrate on a task and mental clarity. That’s because swimming activates both hemispheres of the brain along with all four lobes of the brain. This increases neuronal links and causes more oxygen to reach the brain, which translates into greater activation of the brain.

8. Helps fight muscle pain

More and more therapists are recommending swimming and hydrotherapy to combat certain muscular pains due to the flexibility that is acquired with their practice lifeguard certificate near me. In addition, the mere fact that our body floats cause our muscles, bones and joints to fall into place, eliminating possible injuries and pain.

My mother is not an athlete, but she was not wrong when she proclaimed to the four winds the virtues of swimming. Let’s see twenty of the many benefits that this sport brings and why it is so healthy in the daily life of anyone, from babies to the elderly. Everyone can find in swimming a way to improve their psychomotricity and the development and maintenance of their body. Especially if we are runners.

9. Fight Chronic Diseases

As it is an aerobic sport that takes place over long periods of time, it lowers blood glucose levels, which produces greater sensitivity to insulin. In addition, swimming is a perfect exercise for people with high cholesterol as it helps lower its blood levels. In addition, swimming is very beneficial for people with asthma because it does not cause excessive chest pressure and is practiced in a humid environment.

10. It is a relaxing activity

Swimming is perfect when it’s hot and running is not exactly what you want, but it is also very pleasant to swim in warm water during days of intense cold. Being an activity in the liquid medium, it is very relaxing. Along with a correct diet and hydration, the practice of swimming favors restful sleep and rest. It is a very pleasant physical activity.

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American Lifeguard Association

American Lifeguard Association

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