Swimming works your whole body, improving cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength,

endurance, posture, and flexibility all at the same time. Your cardiovascular system in
particular benefits because swimming improves your body’s use of oxygen without
overworking your heart. As you become more fit and are able to swim longer, your resting
heart rate and respiratory rate will be reduced, making blood flow to the heart and lungs
more efficient.

Simply put, some call swimming the perfect form of exercise.

Additional Health Benefits of Swimming

 Whole body conditioning: Swimming tones your upper and lower body because
you’re using almost all of your major muscle groups. The best strokes for all-over body
toning are the freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke.
 Low risk of injury: There is a low risk for swimming injuries because there’s no stress
on your bones, joints or connective tissues due to buoyancy and the fact that you weigh
1/10th less in water. If you’re looking for a safe daily workout routine, swimming is ideal
because you can rigorously work out with a reduced chance of swimming injuries. Many
athletes supplement their training with swimming.
 Low-impact exercise: So many people can reap the benefits of swimming. Pregnant
women benefit from swimming because it helps strengthen the shoulder and abdominal
muscles, which can be strained when carrying a baby. The elderly, women who have had a
mastectomy, and those recovering from an injury often turn to swimming or water aerobic
exercises because it’s low impact, helps relax stiff muscles and isn’t weight-bearing.
Swimming also increases circulation.
 Improve blood pressure: Studies have shown that a workout routine that includes
swimming can help reduce and possibly prevent high blood pressure, which lowers your
risk for heart disease and stroke.
 Stress reduction: You don’t have to be a water sign in the zodiac to feel the
meditative and healing properties of water. Swimming is extremely relaxing because it
allows more oxygen to flow to your muscles and forces you to regulate your breathing. It’s
also a great way to relieve stress. Our bodies are made up of about 60% water so it’s no
wonder why some feel such a draw to the water.
 A great way to burn calories: With regard to weight loss, fitness swimming gives you
the best aerobic workout with the least amount of joint stress or impact. The amount of
calories burned during a swimming routine will vary based on their weight, the intensity of
their workout, conditioning level, and metabolism. The table below will provide
comparative information about calories burned for different types of activities.

Recreational water activities can have substantial benefits to health and well-being.
Swimming pools, beaches, lakes, rivers and spas provide environments for rest and
relaxation, physical activity, exercise, pleasure and fun. Yet they also present risks to
health. Polluted and unsafe recreational waters can lead to infections, exposure to
chemicals, injuries and death.
New WHO Guidelines for safe recreational water environments are aimed at reducing
bathing-related death and disability, and making beaches and recreational waters safer
places to relax, exercise and have fun.
Recreational waters for positive health
Water-based recreational activities have long been recognized as having a positive
influence on health and well-being. Since ancient times, bathing in mineral waters has
been reputed to cure a variety of illnesses. While there have been few scientific studies of
these postulated effects, there is no doubt of the benefits of warm water therapy in pain
relief, joint mobility and relaxation.
These days, more and more people are taking up recreational activities in and around
water, and these are an important part of leisure and tourism around the world.
Swimming is recognized as one of the most beneficial forms of exercise and is also an
important therapy for rehabilitation after operations such as hip replacements.
Hazards of recreational water use
Water-based recreation, however, can expose people to a variety of health risks, which
vary according to the type of water, geographical location and local conditions. These are
linked to physical, microbial and chemical hazards.
Physical hazards: drowning and injuries
Drowning is one of the unequivocal dangers of recreational water use. An estimated 400
000 people drown each year(1). In children, drowning is one of the leading causes of
accidental deaths (more information on drowning).