When the weather is still a little chilly, and going out for a run seems a whole lot less tempting, we've been exploring under-cover exercise options, from spinning to squash. Swimming is not only a fantastic form of physical exercise, but a magical mood lifter, proven to aid a cracking night's sleep. If you need even more convincing to don a swimming hat and a pair of goggles, here are our top three reasons to swim.
Reasons to Swim
- Imagine a workout that not only burns (approximately) 367 calories after just 30 minutes. That trumps walking, cycling and even running. The resistance of water can be up to 44 times greater than that of air, which means you have to work a lot harder to make your way through it. Despite the resistance, swimming is proven to be a fantastic way to rehabilitate following an injury, due to the low-impact movements; because of the buoyancy of the water, swimmers are only bearing 10% of their total weight, meaning less strain on bones, joints and muscles.
- There's something relaxing about being in the pool; the dull, calming lights, muffled voices of instructors overhead and water splashing. It's been said that swimming can actually improve your overall mood, lower levels of depression, anger and confusion. The National Sleep Foundation also found that those who pull on their swimming cap twice a week get a better night's sleep - so, what are you waiting for?
- Good for the mind, even better for the body. Pool paddling is great for keeping a healthy heart beating, proving to be a great form of cardiovascular exercise. Controlling blood sugar levels, lowering blood pressure and reducing levels of cholesterol all help towards achieving a happy heart.
Our Feeling Fit fanatic visits DSQ gym (formerly named Dolphin Square Gym), beautifully designed, 17 metre swimming pool to find out why you should swap your scarf for a pair of swimming shorts, and head inside for a spot of breast stroke.
