The Cardiovascular Benefits Of Swimming

Swimming burns 30% more calories an hour than running, and 40% more than cycling. Any exercise that makes your heart pump and gets you sweating is good for the heart, and swimming is known to help people keep fit and stay healthy. It is particularly good for cardiovascular health, and it’s a great way to improve the health of your heart and lungs.

The heart is a complex organ made up of many arteries, veins and vessels that must circulate throughout the body to ensure that every cell is supplied with blood. Therefore, your heart must work extremely hard the whole day to transport oxygen, blood, waste and nutrients. Exercise can make the process easier, and research shows that swimming is one of the exercises that does this best. 

Effects on heart rate, blood sugar, stress, and circulation

When your body is submerged in water with a cooler temperature, it undergoes a process called the mammalian diving reflex, which is a physiological response whereby your blood pressure drops almost instantly. This process makes you feel a soothing of worries and a sense of calm the moment you enter the water. It reduces the rate of your pulse to help save oxygen in a survival situation.

Swimming can also lead to a reduced heart rate in the long run due to the strengthening of your muscles. This means that as the heart gets stronger after swimming for some time, it does not have to work as hard to run your cardiovascular system.

Studies have also shown that swimming reduces blood pressure, and especially systolic blood pressure. Besides the heart becoming more efficient, the vessels’ efficiency also improves, which means that your circulation gets better.

Good circulation can lower the risk of stroke and other circulatory issues, and it can enable your body to transport nutrients to the cells that require repair. It can also help prevent embolism, which is a condition that is characterized by the blocking of a blood vessel due to the presence of a blood clot. Diabetes patients who have swollen feet can also try swimming to improve blood circulation to the extremities and boost the body’s capacity to move extra fluid. 

Start swimming to strengthen your heart

Knowing how to swim also gives you the skills you need to avoid drowning. The major drowning risk factors are seizure disorders, alcohol use, and failure to put on life jackets, as well as location, a lack of close supervision when swimming, and a lack of swimming skills. Therefore, if you and your children know how to swim, you are more likely to be safe in and around water – even more reason to incorporate it into your exercise routine.

If you want to get in shape, you should do cardiovascular training 3-5 times a week for at least 20 minutes every session. Over time, you should be able to swim for up to one hour. There are certain strokes that you can use while swimming to diversify your swimming workout. These include freestyle, butterfly, sidestroke, backstroke and breaststroke. Each targets different muscle groups, and the water offers a mild resistance. 

Swimming can be a great way to get in shape and become healthier. If you do not like sweating while working out, swimming is the  perfect exercise for you. It’s also great for all abilities and ages, so once you have the skills, you will be able to swim all your life.