The benefits of swimming on the female body and psyche
Swimming is a sport rich in benefits: always defined as "the most complete sport", it has extraordinary effects on the female body, both from an aesthetic and health point of view, strengthening the muscles, improving our silhouette and more. The benefits of swimming are also psychological.
Those who swim consistently will really see their body transform and guarantee iron health. Don't believe it? Look what this 103-year-old swimmer is up to ...
Swimming: four styles for a thousand benefits
Swimming is usually practiced in 25 or 50m pools and includes four styles: breaststroke, butterfly, front crawl (also called freestyle) and backstroke.
Each style is characterized by a particular type of technique, rhythm and breathing: in the crawl and back the legs are beaten, in the butterfly it sways and in the frog the arms and legs imitate the movements of the animal from which the style takes its name.
In competitions, dives and tacks are added and the four styles can also be associated (100m 4 styles, 200m 4 styles). Ready to find out what are the many benefits of this sport?
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The benefits of swimming on the female body
Here are the main benefits of swimming on the body, from those strictly aesthetic to those related to improving our health:
- Strengthens all muscles: all muscles are forced to contract to control movement and posture in the water.
- It improves venous reflux: like other sports, it favors the pumping of blood located in the legs thanks to alternating muscle contraction / decontraction but is even more effective thanks to the horizontal position and the freshness and pressure of the water that relieve swelling.
- Refine the silhouette: it stresses and stretches all the muscles, involves a great energy expenditure (from 200 to 600 Kcal / h) and mobilizes the fat reserves after about 40 minutes of activity.
- Strengthens the cardio-respiratory system: gradually strengthens the heart and strengthens lung capacity. The saturation of water vapor at the water level is also good for asthmatics.
- Save your joints: since you are almost weightless in the water, there are no impacts or the fear of getting hurt.
- Develop coordination: it is a technical sport with a motor leg / arm dissociation and a particular inhalation / exhalation rhythm.
Swimming: the psychological benefits
Swimming is not only good for the body, but also for our psyche. In fact, by practicing this sport, endorphins are produced. Endorphins give us a feeling of lightness and great well-being.
Being in the water recalls our origins and produces a sense of general relaxation and relaxation, very useful for treating states of anxiety or if you suffer from panic attacks or depression.
Contraindications of swimming
Swimming has no major contraindications, but it will still be necessary to mention the following possible drawbacks related to its practice:
- Boredom: it might seem that time never passes since you have to repeat the same laps over and over.
- V-shaped muscle: in large doses, it promotes the development of the muscles of the upper body (arms, shoulders, back) with the risk of making the silhouette not very harmonious.
- Back pain: when you don't master the techniques or breathe with your head out of the water, you bend over and risk damaging your lumbar muscles.
- Chlorine: stinks and damages skin and hair.
- Motivation: When the weather is bad or cold, putting on a bathing suit and getting your hair wet can take a lot of willpower.
A few tips to fully enjoy all the benefits of swimming
In order for the practice of swimming to give us all the benefits we have mentioned, it is good to follow the following tips:
- Take Lessons: If you don't master the techniques, swimming can do more harm than good.
- Use the accessories: boards, fins, webbed gloves are used to improve the technique, to make certain muscles work more, to do different exercises and to make each pool different.
- Stretching: Stretching the upper body muscles can limit the V-muscles.
- Combine swimming with an activity on dry land: running on foot or by bicycle allows you to stimulate the other parts of the body as well.
- Stay hydrated: even in water you sweat.
Swimming: useful information for practicing this sport full of benefits
Most small and large cities have communal pools with a cheaper entrance fee than private pools. There is also the possibility of making monthly and / or annual subscriptions.
If you attend real swimming courses (collective and / or individual) you improve quickly. For those who are less interested in actual swimming but find it pleasant to practice physical exercise in the water, there are also water aerobics courses.
If, on the other hand, you are afraid of water, there are specific courses for people suffering from hydrophobia.
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