As a child, you took swimming lessons to ensure your safety around water and enhance your social interactions with your peers. As

an adult, you installed a pool in your home for luxury and relaxation. But when the weather gets cold, you find it hard to coax yourself in
to your bathing suit and out to the pool.

In this blog, we’ll outline 9 benefits of defying lower temperatures and swimming year round. 

1. Burns Calories

Whether you want to lose weight or burn through some guilty calories, a few laps in a pool works better than almost any other exercise type. Swimming at a leisurely pace for an hour burns between 400 and 700 calories. To burn that many calories while running, you’
d have to keep a pace of five minutes per kilometre.

2. Builds Endurance

Health researchers measure endurance based on the maximum amount of oxygen an athlete can use during the exercise. Researchers link regular swimming for a significant period of time to increased oxygen capacity and lower heart rate during physical exertion.

3. Encourages Good Habits

Any exercise routine can help you achieve better health. You may find it difficult to establish and maintain a routine consisting of exercises you don’t enjoy. If you want to succeed with a daily or three-to-five-day a week routine, opt for swimming. It offers variety, versatility and visible results.

4. Enhances Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health

The controlled breathing and regular motions in swimming force the heart and lungs to work in predictable ways. Over time, control
led heart rate and breathing increases blood circulation, encourages regular heart beats and minimises respiratory problems.

Some studies even suggest that swimming can help individuals control respiratory conditions like asthma. However, if you have asthma, consult with your doctor before beginning a rigorous swimming routine. Some individuals may need to work up to regular swimming to avoid asthma attacks.

5. Improves Coordination

Studies show that regular swimming improves balance and hand-eye coordination. This improvement enhances quality of life, especially for senior citizens. One study of 20 swimmers between the ages of 55 and 65 showed that swimming reduces the risk of falls because it improves reaction time.

6. Increases Flexibility

Combining stretches with swimming can drastically increase joint flexibility. This combination lengthens muscles, which results in more possible force in each movement. Stretches elongate and warm up the muscles. Swimming afterward trains the body to use each joint
s full range of motion. Better flexibility improves swimming technique and reduces soreness from other exercise types.

7. Reduces Chronic Illness Symptoms

Because swimming provides intense exertion with minimal impact, it helps maintain and improve joint health. Studies show that this
benefit can reduce the painful symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, previous injuries and osteoarthritis.

8. Regulates Mood

Swimming provides relaxing recreation. This can lower blood pressure, reduce stress, control anxiety and improve mood. Warm water swimming in particular correlates with decreased feelings of depression, even for individuals with chronic pain caused by conditions like
fibromyalgia.

9. Strengthens Muscles

The repetitive motions in swimming provide similar benefits to other repetitive exercise, like weight lifting. Namely, swimming improves muscle strength and tone. Due to its low-impact nature, the strengthening provided by a swim routine often comes with minimal soreness and injury risk. This makes swimming ideal for injury recovery, physical conditioning and physical therapy.

To better reap these benefits, you may choose to install a pool heating system. When it’s cold, a warmer pool looks more appealing
and staves off any negative health effects, such as the risk of hypothermia. Talk to a pool heating specialist to find out more about optimising your pool for year-round use.

For specific exercises tailored to your goals and overall health, partner with a swimming instructor or coach. Maintain a daily or weekly swimming routine to experience these health benefits.

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