The benefits of swimming on the body
Why is swimming good for you? Simple: it’s healthy and helps you get fit. Of course, the prerequisite is to learn how to swim correctly and practice in order to achieve your goals.
The body benefits from movement in the water: by swimming, we train the cardiovascular system and strengthen the muscles without straining the musculoskeletal system.
In the water, we always activate the whole body and lifeguard certification, and according to the style practiced we use some muscles more than others, but in principle, we always stress the upper back muscles. This is why swimming correctly is effective in combating classic (office) muscle tension.
Effective training despite low heart rate
The heart rate is lower during training in the water, which does not mean that it is less effective than running or pedaling on a bicycle. The cause of the lowering of the heart rate is above all the so-called “ immersion effect ”: entering the water we stimulate our parasympathetic system.
It is a part of our nervous system responsible for rest, which also regulates the unconscious management of heart rate and centralization of blood circulation. In a nutshell, underwater the body is solely concerned with supplying oxygen to vital organs.
The water pressure and the horizontal position also play a role: the blood flow is facilitated and allows an improvement in the systolic volume of the heart, which can therefore beat a little less frequently to carry enough blood. [1]
Swimming and calorie consumption: an overview
The amount of calories burned while swimming depends on the level of training and the lifeguard certification’s general physical condition, but the swimming style and intensity of the training also have a great influence. One thing is certain: walking calmly through the pools, including a chat break, we consume more calories than sitting at the bar. However, in this way, we certainly do not reach the maximum results, so it is necessary to apply a little more.
How many calories do you burn while swimming?
The following indicative values show the average calorie consumption of recreational athletes and advanced swimmers. The best thing to do is to determine the actual calorie loss during each session in the water using a waterproof fitness tracker.
Calorie consumption while swimming
Rana: 400 – 700 kcal / hour
Freestyle: 500 – 800 kcal / hour
Back: 200 – 500 kcal / hour
3 reasons to lose weight with swimming
Lose weight while swimming? Good idea! This water sport fits perfectly into a weight loss training program. You can plan a session in the water as an alternative to running or cycling, while for cardio training you can focus only on swimming.
1. Water temperature vs body temperature
Normally the water temperature of public swimming pools is 26 ° -29 °, which is about 10 ° -13 ° degrees lower than the average body temperature. It is precisely this thermal difference that causes thermogenesis, or the production of heat in the body, which is also responsible for activating the metabolism of lipids.
In a nutshell, in water, the body must maintain heat, and in so doing it burns calories without even moving.
2. Swimming protects the joints
This point is especially important if you have a few extra pounds of a lifeguard certification. The position in the water during swimming releases the entire musculoskeletal system and you can move as much as you want without overloading the joints.
3. Swimming includes strength training
Swimming activates the whole body and strengthens all large muscle groups thanks to friction with the water. This allows for a steady increase in your basal metabolic rate, meaning you can eat more without gaining weight.
If swimming is to become your main cardio training, take into account in your training plan that this sport works your torso more than other physical activities, such as running. So it can be too tiring to go swimming in the evening if you plan on working out your upper body the next day.
Our tip: To lose weight, you need to consume fewer calories than you consume. With our fitness recipes for weight loss you always have under control how much you eat: zero sacrifices and 100% taste!
Is swimming suitable for muscle growth?
The classic swimmer physique does not come out of anywhere: following a targeted training and lifeguard certification you stress the muscles so intensely that you will see a remarkable development especially of the shoulder and back muscles.
Swimming allows you to train mainly large muscle groups and intermuscular coordination. The back and arms are strengthened especially by swimming breaststroke and freestyle; the latter requires an intense trapezius and dorsal effort which is responsible for the typical broad back of swimmers.
But the rest of the body is also involved in the movements: if you are a beginner and start practicing this sport regularly, you will be able to develop, define and strengthen your muscles.
During a moderate swim, resistance work is done and the muscle thickness increases slightly: the muscles do not become wider, but more defined and strong. To achieve this effect, you need to follow an anaerobic workout.
This means that your body produces the energy it needs for movement without the help of oxygen. As it is very strenuous training, you can only do it for a relatively short period of time.
The best tactic for training this way is with intensive intervals in the water. For example, 5 repetitions of 50m of fast swimming interspersed with 25m of light swimming.
The start of anaerobic work varies according to the person.
The benefits of swimming: this is how it promotes muscle development
The tolerance lactate increases, the muscles get tired less quickly and you can do more reps.
The capillarity guarantees muscles a better supply of nutrients and energy. This promotes muscle performance and regeneration.
The combination of these two effects contributes to a faster recovery of the body.
Our advice: developing muscles is impossible without the right nutrition. Support your muscles with quality protein and healthy snacks!
Which muscles do you train while swimming?
Swimmers always train the whole body but depending on the style practiced some muscles work more than others.
Frog style
When we swim breaststroke we train mainly the back, in particular the great dorsal muscle (latissimus dorsi). The abdominals stabilize the body in the water, the gluteal muscles support the complex movements of the legs and the entire thigh is also active, both front and back.
Back style
The back allows you to train especially all the muscles of the buttocks (large, medium, and small buttocks). Thanks to the flat position in the water, we also strengthen the core which prevents the buttocks from going down while we swim. Much of the thrust comes from the torso, which is why the large back muscle works in this case as well.
In addition, swimming on the back also improves the mobility of the shoulder girdle to do lifeguard certification. Thanks to the relaxed position of the head and neck, by swimming backstroke we can dissolve the tensions in the nape accumulated after long days in the office.
Freestyle
The great dorsal muscle (latissimus dorsi) and the trapezius muscle (musculus trapezius) work mainly.
But be careful: especially during freestyle, the goal is not to paddle with your arms as hard as you can. The important thing is to work on optimizing the sliding phase. The fewer strokes we do to run a pool, the more powerful and efficient the style is.
Do you want to increase your muscles in a targeted way? Then take a look at our free workouts: they guarantee you fun, sweat, and the achievement of your goals!
What are the benefits of swimming?
After sustaining a shoulder injury, freestyle may be the wrong choice – especially if you don’t do the technique correctly. So we can’t say briefly which swimming style is right for you.
Is swimming good for you? Swimming styles overview
If your swimming technique is correct, any style is healthy. The back is always great, while the situation changes for the breaststroke and freestyle and lifeguard certification. Depending on the intensity of the training, the frequency, and the wrong type of movement, the following problems may occur:
Frog style
- Spine tension.
- Back problems due to hyperlordosis (lordosis).
- Knee problems if you bang your legs incorrectly or in case of previous injuries.
Freestyle
Neck tension due to lateral breathing.
(Strengthening of) muscle imbalances.
Injuries resulting from overloading the shoulders.
How often is it good to swim?
To reap the benefits of swimming to the lifeguard certification on the cardiovascular system, you should do 30 minutes of endurance sport 3 times a week.
The best thing for health is to swim for about 30-40 minutes without a break. It is not necessary to start immediately with 30 minutes, you can start at 20 minutes and increase each time by 2 minutes.
