What are the health benefits of swimming: is it worth going to the pool?

The benefits of swimming for men and women

Both men and women benefit from swimming in a pool; water has a positive effect on the functions of systems and organs:

• cardiac muscle, to improve the functioning of the vascular system;
• brain;
• digestive system;
• respiratory function (lung circulation improves).

Orthopedists, surgeons, traumatologists and other specialized specialists practice the inclusion of exercises in water for therapeutic purposes. The benefits of swimming for human health are appreciated by conservative medicine.

A visit to the pool is prescribed:

• patients with disabilities - physical and mental disorders;
• infants: the benefits of swimming for children with birth injuries are priceless;
• people diagnosed with cerebral palsy, rickets, anemia;
• for autism;
• patients with pathologies of the musculoskeletal system.

Important!
You can experience all the health benefits of a swimming pool only by following your doctor’s instructions and attending classes 2-3 times a week. Advantages of swimming for women:

• figure correction, weight control;
• skin tone, getting rid of “orange peel” on the thighs and buttocks;
• restoration of sleep, elimination of psycho-emotional discomfort;
• burning calories and losing weight quickly;
• strengthening the body's protective functions;
• preventing the development of varicose veins;
• strengthens the muscle corset.

The benefits for women from swimming in the pool are noticeable when visiting the complex at least twice a week, while it is recommended to change styles and exercises.

In addition to external changes, there are benefits for the male body in the ability to:

• improve the health of the myocardium and blood vessels;
• avoid increased risk of injury;
• strengthen the skeleton;
• give flexibility to the body, correct posture;
• increase self-esteem, tidy up the nervous system;
• increase concentration, relieve stress;
• tighten the torso and arms, give them a beautiful relief;
• strengthen men's health.

The benefits of swimming for men in the pool appear in a short time, provided that they visit regularly (at least 2 times every 7 days). Important! To engage all muscle groups, exercises should not be monotonous. Swimming on your back is useful for men, as it strengthens the muscles of the back and hips. Powerful shoulders add masculinity and attractiveness. Playing sports is beneficial, and swimming practically eliminates harm.

For everyone, without exception, swimming in the pool performs the following tasks:

Develops muscles

Active activity promotes muscle development. When the technique is performed correctly, the load is distributed evenly. For a positive result, it is not necessary to visit the pool every day, but if you do this more than 2 times a week, there will be no harm.

Relaxes the spinal muscles

After injuries and if you are prone to scoliosis or osteochondrosis, doctors recommend swimming in the pool. Water unloads the spinal column, stretches it, and eliminates asymmetry.

Improves flexibility

Water is the best environment for the development of plasticity. Without increasing the load on your joints, you can increase physical activity and get rid of stiffness.

Strengthens bones

It has been scientifically established that swimming strengthens bone tissue. It is especially beneficial to perform exercises in outdoor pools where there is access to sunlight (vitamin D). The benefits of swimming in the development of a child’s body, the formation of the skeleton and muscle tone are priceless.

Improves breathing and relieves asthma symptoms

In the process of performing exercises, muscles that promote proper breathing are trained. Increasing the vital capacity of the lungs when swimming due to the ability to breathe correctly has a positive effect on the course of bronchial asthma.

Strengthens the heart

Staying in a horizontal position relieves stress on the muscle. Proper breathing and the work of muscle tissue contribute to the proper nutrition of the organ and strengthening of the vascular walls. Among those involved in swimming, there are many times fewer people with hypertension.

Improves brain function and relieves stress

Water irritates the complex of receptors and tones the nervous system. Systematic trips to the pool relieve irritability and relieve stress.

Prevention of joint diseases

The state of hydrostatic weightlessness relieves the musculoskeletal system, increasing motor capabilities. Thus, epiphyseal cartilage is better preserved and joint health is improved.

Important! Swimming cannot cause harm if blood glucose levels increase. Moreover, regular exercise in water restores blood sugar.

VISITING THE POOL CAN CAUSE HARM TO YOU!

Amazing title, isn't it? However, this is true. Why? More on this below.

Doctors from a variety of disciplines regularly tell their patients that swimming will be beneficial for them. And they send them to a fitness club or just a swimming pool. They send without explaining anything about the essence of the recommendation. Does your back hurt? Swimming will be useful! Cervical osteochondrosis? Swimming will help! Joint problems! You need to swim regularly! And with this “useful” recommendation at the ready, a lot of people rush to swimming pools, large and not so big. And once they get to the pool, they start swimming frantically and extremely regularly. And they regularly harm themselves. How are they harmful? Because they turn a useful activity into a whole series of minor injuries to their musculoskeletal system.

So, what is harmful to your health?

Harm number 1 – beach breaststroke.

Oh, this is the talk of the town! This beach breaststroke, this greeting from the Volga, this unique way of swimming that injures every possible place in the human body. No, it’s quite suitable on the beach, because people swim there very little and other methods are not very convenient. But when it's regularly in the pool, day after day, week after week, month after month... It's terrible.

Why? It’s just that with this “style” of swimming you:

• throw your head up and overload the cervical spine (and this means a compressed circulatory system, a pinched nervous system and slightly perplexed vertebrae); • you bend too much in the lower back, which leads to the gradual appearance of discomfort in the lower back; • move your legs unevenly, which gives them different loads and over time develops an imbalance in the pelvic area; • do not lie in the water, but rather stand in it at an angle, which deprives the body of such a wonderful swimming property as traction.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. A couple of months a year of weekends at the beach won't do much harm.

But constant swimming in the pool leads to increased headaches, poor circulation, and the development of discomfort or muscle pain. Do you need it? Don't think.

Harm number 2 – we swim with a “bicycle”.

A favorite pastime of many is swimming, bending and straightening your knees. I will not go into detail about the negative consequences of this point.

I’ll just say that this way you injure the cruciate ligaments of the knees, shift the load purely to the quadriceps (which means the hamstrings will gradually weaken) and gradually increase the deflection in the lower back, which in the future will lead to discomfort in the lower back.

I am tormented by vague doubts that this is exactly what the doctor advised you to do.

Harm number 3 – we go to group lessons in the pool.

Some villain inspired people that all group lessons help to achieve excellent results, and group lessons in the water generally work wonders. I'll disappoint you - they don't create it. And sometimes they actually do harm.

Let me give you an example. Let's say that you have severe hypertonicity and hyperlordosis (strong deflection in the lumbar region), which is a normal condition of a modern person due to a sedentary lifestyle. And you start going to group classes in the pool. For group classes, where it is necessary to constantly load this very iliopsoas muscle.

What will happen? It’s true that spasm will increase in it, because you don’t twist your pelvis during each exercise and don’t transfer the main load to the gluteal and hamstrings during movement.

Did you know about this? I highly doubt it. Here you should always make a note, as with medications - first consult with a specialist (i.e., a trainer).

Harm No. 4 – we actively swim crawl/breaststroke/butterfly.

Every day I see people who overcome one hundred meters after another, kilometer after kilometer. The head is lowered into the water, the body seems to be lying on the surface of the water. But... But this seems correct only for an inexperienced swimmer who, with every movement of the body, analyzes the work of the muscles from the point of view of anatomy and the efficiency of movement.

What are the main difficulties with this point? Here they are:

• Inhalation is often done on an even number of strokes. This means that your neck always turns in one direction. And this leads to the fact that the neck muscles on one side will go into hypertonicity, and the other into hypotonicity. Which sooner or later will lead to discomfort and headaches. • The emphasis on the load in the water can be distributed in an infinite number of variations. The hand was positioned a little differently - and now the load has shifted from the latissimus to the deltoid muscles. It's not a big deal if you really want to move it and didn't do it by accident. If it turns out thoughtlessly, then you may train something completely different from what you planned. • No warm-up, no cool-down, no stretching. I see this all the time. The muscles are not warmed up for active work, excessive tension is not relieved from the muscles after training, the cardiovascular system and breathing switch from highly active activity immediately to a measured pace (which also does not have a positive effect on the body). You will not feel the negative effect immediately, but it will overtake you in any case.

So. What do we have in the bottom line?

1. Exercises in water are useful, but...

2. ...but these classes must be clearly structured...

3. ...built to suit the goals, body condition and nuances of the musculoskeletal system, otherwise...

4. ...otherwise you will get the absolutely opposite effect, which will be a fly in the ointment.

Approach your classes thoughtfully, structure your workouts, control your body, gain the skills and abilities that are necessary for healthy swimming. And then the pool will have a healing effect on your body.

Warm water and great workouts to you!

Always yours, senior coach of the X-Fit Samara pool and international master of sports in swimming Evgenia Zubanova.

Swimming for children

Swimming is also good for children's health, and the benefits of training in water outweigh individual cases of possible harm. A visit to the pool gives your child:

• correct load on the musculoskeletal system;
• full development of the muscle corset;
• pull effect – rapid growth;
• the opportunity to develop the body coordination necessary for life;
• proper breathing skills, which further prevents pathologies;
• natural hardening, strengthening the body's protective functions.

The benefits of swimming in the pool for children are undeniable, but the task of parents is to dose the activities so as not to provoke harm (atopic dermatitis, fungal infections, the effect of chlorine on the respiratory system). Important! According to statistics, the majority of children who can swim above average fail to cope with the situation and die - due to the loss of a sense of danger.

Swimming in water is prescribed to young patients with congenital pathologies, and visiting the pool for healthy children is incredibly useful, as it is an excellent means of preventing the development of pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. Training eliminates the risk of developing osteochondrosis and scoliosis.

Benefits for men

The benefits of swimming in the pool for men are no less than for women, and everything that was said above can be safely repeated in this section. Of course, excluding the benefits during pregnancy and for the appearance of the breasts. Swimming has a beneficial effect on the male reproductive system, eliminating congestion in the pelvis, thereby improving potency. Experts also note that such a load helps improve the quality of sperm.

What other benefits does swimming in the pool have for men?

• It reduces the risk of heart and lung diseases. As is known, pathologies in this area are the cause of 80% of male deaths worldwide. This is especially true for people who abuse smoking and alcohol;
• Increases the flexibility of bones and joints, so a man remains flexible and mobile longer. By the way, this is precisely the benefit of swimming for older people;
• Strengthens the muscular skeleton, increases endurance and coordination. A man who swims actively stays strong and strong longer;
• Let us repeat once again about the impact on mental health - at the first signs of depression, we recommend immediately swimming away from it!

Swimming during pregnancy

For pregnant women, the benefits of swimming are obvious. Excess weight and hormonal imbalance do not contribute to a woman's interest in sports. If there are no contraindications to exercise, then mother’s training in the pool improves blood circulation and, accordingly, eliminates nutritional and breathing deficits of the unborn baby.

During gestation, as the embryo grows, discomfort in the back increases. The benefits of swimming for the spine of a pregnant woman are beyond doubt, since she thus rests and does not worry about the harm of hypoxia to the fetus.

More information in the video:

The benefits of swimming in the pool for women

Swimming has a beneficial effect on women. As mentioned above, swimming improves breathing and strengthens the cardiovascular system, speeds up metabolism, maintains skin elasticity - all this slows down the aging process of the body, which is of great importance for a woman.

In addition, exercise in water maintains muscle tone, improves joint flexibility and burns calories, which allows you to form a slender, beautiful body.

Swimming relieves fatigue and general stress, which is important for sensitive women's emotional health. Swimming has been proven to be beneficial for pregnant women, as well as for restoring abdominal muscle tone after childbirth.

The benefits of swimming for weight loss

Swimming for weight loss is the best option that does not harm the digestive system. By exercising in the pool for more than 30 minutes regularly, you can achieve visible results. In the process of performing the exercises, all muscle groups take part, and the spine is strengthened. The benefits of swimming for your figure are beyond doubt.

Paradoxically, if you take fins with you to swimming training, you can increase the load on the lower limbs, abs and gluteal muscles. Swimming with fins in the pool is useful for increasing the effect of exercise, for whatever purpose it is carried out.

Exercises in the pool

Overcoming the resistance of water, swimming exercises give more effect than fitness in the gym or other sports activities. By performing simple techniques, you can model your figure. In order for the result to appear, you should do:

1. Running in place (up to 5 minutes).
2. Leg swings - 10 swings on each leg.
3. To strengthen the muscles of the arms and back - swing your arms (up to 15 times).
4. Twisting in each direction - turns in the water (7 - 8 times).
5. March with high knees for 5 minutes.
6. Tilts in different directions while simultaneously raising the opposite arm (up to 8 on each side).
7. Bike.

Starting classes is possible only after a preliminary warm-up; to do this, it is enough to swim for a quarter of an hour, otherwise, instead of benefit, you can get harm.

How often to go to the pool and how much to exercise

People visit the pool to swim for pleasure, for preventive and therapeutic purposes. It is common to see 25 and 50 meter structures.

If you visit the pool with the goal of losing weight and toning your body, it’s worth mastering different techniques. The benefits of breaststroke swimming will be greater than those of chaotic floundering. If you lack skills, contact an instructor. He also monitors the pulse of beginners before the swim and after completing the goal, in order to further adjust the training, not to overdo it, and not to provoke harm instead of benefit. Typically, visitors pursue the following goals:

• develop endurance;
• aerobic capacity;
• elimination of excess fat;
• strengthening and tightening of muscles.

In this case, classes should be intense, without distractions by trifles, and last up to half an hour. At the finish line, the pulse normally varies between 120 – 150 beats per minute. The next swim is possible after a decrease in indicators of 70 - 100 strokes. Important! The distance should be increased gradually. Only after the preparatory lessons can the visitor swim without stopping for 30 minutes. You must attend training at least twice a week.

If the goal of the training is to fight excess weight, the benefits of crawl and breaststroke swimming will make themselves felt after several visits, subject to the instructor’s recommendations.

An approximate plan for swimming lessons for a beginner twice a week is as follows - Table:

To ensure that exercise brings pleasure and energy for the whole day, it is worth evaluating the benefits of swimming in the morning. The time after waking up is considered the best time for swimming.

What to take to the pool

You need to know what to take with you for the comfort of swimming training.

List of things needed for swimming:

1. Certificate of health from your local physician.
2. For men, boxer trunks or slips, for women - a one-piece swimsuit.
3. Pool caps. It is better to choose silicone or silicone-woven ones.
4. Swimming goggles are an optional attribute, but convenient.
5. Towel, soap, shampoo.
6. Rubber or silicone flip-flops.

If you choose a microfiber towel, you don’t have to take a bath towel with you. The medium-sized fabric perfectly absorbs liquid.

The dangers of swimming

While enjoying the benefits of swimming in the pool, you must remember that enjoyable swimming workouts can also be harmful. This is mainly due to water, its quality and unsanitary conditions. When choosing one of the institutions - open, closed or sports school - you should familiarize yourself with the characteristics, reputation, and reviews. Conditions must comply with sanitary and epidemiological standards.

If an allergy is diagnosed, then there is no talk about the benefits of visiting the pool; the harm for women and men is obvious: due to the saturation of the water with chlorine, there is a high probability of a deterioration in well-being.

In addition, the chemical gradually harms the quality of hair, nails, and skin. Dermatologists and professional swimmers do not recommend visiting the pool every day. Contact with chlorinated water provokes the development of skin diseases and respiratory pathologies.

Important! The benefits of swimming for asthma can only be obtained in an ozonated pool. Exercising in water with an intense chlorine smell aggravates the situation and causes harm to the respiratory system and the body as a whole.

The possibility of becoming infected with fungus, scabies and other infections when swimming in the pool is possible if hygiene rules are not followed. You should touch the sides and tiles as little as possible.

To avoid harm from chlorine, you should take a shower with detergents after training - this will smooth out the stress caused by chlorine.

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The hobby of swimming is useful for men, as slanting fathoms in the shoulders look attractive. At the same time, intensive exercises for the fairer sex give no less effect, which, however, is extremely undesirable if a woman wants to remain fragile.

Important! Swimming should not be considered a harmless sport. The risk of choking is high. Even professional athletes should not let their guard down.

The most important thing is no harm

I think there is no need to write the well-known words that physical activity is beneficial for humans.

Instead, I’ll write something else: almost any sport often entails not only benefits, but also harm to the body . Professional sports mean injuries, amateur sports mean the risk of injuries.

In this sense, swimming is perhaps the best type of physical activity for a person: with proper swimming and a reasonable (not too exhausting) load, the risk of injuries and other negative consequences in a healthy person tends to zero.

This is primarily due to the fact that the swimmer is in a horizontal position and supported by water, as a result of which there is no harmful stress on the joints .
While running, there is a shock load on the knee joints and spine. In the pool you can get the same amount of aerobic exercise, but without putting your joints at risk .
In the gym, most exercises involve axial load on the spine , and with incorrect technique or an incorrectly chosen training program, there is a risk of injuring the joints. In swimming, you can work out almost all muscles, but without such negative consequences .

Thus, the most important advantage of swimming is that, unlike all other types of physical activity, here you can play sports without harming the spine and joints .

Who is prohibited from visiting the pool?

Not everyone can appreciate the benefits of a swimming pool for human health, since not everyone is allowed to attend swimming classes. There is a large list of contraindications that cannot be ignored so as not to cause harm to yourself and others. Before attending a class, you should make sure that there are no following violations:

• exacerbations of chronic pathologies, infections;
• chronic diseases that can worsen under the influence of water temperature;
• malignant tumors;
• pathologies of the heart muscle (angina pectoris, arrhythmia, failure);
• dermatological problems, infectious skin lesions;
• some diseases of the organs of vision;
• lesions with Koch's wand;
• presence of open wounds.

Important! There are many contraindications for swimming in the pool. If any pathology is present, you should find out from the leading specialist the degree of risk and harm to visitors.

The benefits of swimming in the pool for men

Regular swimming training puts increased stress on the shoulder muscles and this allows men to acquire a wider and more pumped up torso and a wider chest.

Swimming in the pool strengthens a man’s nervous system, making him more stress-resistant and successful. In addition, it increases male stamina and improves erectile function.

Swimming is important for children's health

Children swimming in the pool is undoubtedly necessary for their health. Thanks to swimming, a small child develops the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular, respiratory and nervous systems.

Swimming lessons prevent the development of scoliosis, flat feet, and muscular dystonia in a child, and improve coordination of movements.

Therefore, swimming is necessary for children with cerebral palsy, muscle hypertonicity, and hyperexcitability syndrome.

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In addition, a child who actively swims has increased immunity, the baby is more resistant to viruses, and is less likely to get colds. He becomes more resilient and strong, his psychological state improves, he sleeps well.

Is there any harm from swimming?

We learned about the benefits of swimming lessons, let's talk about the harm that visiting the pool can bring.

Particularly dangerous are swimming pools that can be visited without presenting a health certificate. Such a pool can contain many different bacteria - fungal infection, scabies, bacteria that cause warts and even lichen.

Even if the water is frequently and thoroughly purified, it will still always contain pathogens.

After all, a public pool is not only an ideal environment for their habitat and reproduction - warm and humid, but also many bacteria acquire “immunity” to disinfectants.

It is impossible to completely get rid of all bacteria, so in pools they make sure that their number does not exceed permissible standards. Before you start using the pool, find out how often the water is cleaned there.

In public and sports pools, bleach is used to clean and disinfect water. Chlorinated water is no less, and maybe even more harmful to health than the presence of bacteria, although doctors strictly monitor the percentage of chlorine in water.

Chlorine is very dangerous for those people who are allergic to this substance. Bleach dries hair, makes it brittle and changes hair color.

The skin is also exposed to harmful effects, since chlorine can penetrate into the deep layers of the skin, causing serious irritation and allergies. It is dangerous if inhaled, and with prolonged exposure it can lead to severe chronic diseases, including cancer.

A swimming pool with a sauna or steam bath is contraindicated for people with cardiovascular diseases; they should not be in places with sudden temperature changes.

The biggest danger in water is the possibility of drowning or choking.