Why You Should Start and Keep on Swimming

Guest blog post by Brigitte Evans a Cosmetic Skin Care Consultant and an editor for highstylife.com

Physical activity is one of the most important columns of health, and if we’re being frank – most of us aren’t getting enough of it. We don’t like to get sweaty, we don’t have time and we would rather spend our free time catching up on our favorite TV show. Well, if you’ve been struggling at the gym, then perhaps there’s a more fluid solution for you – swimming! Here’s why you should opt for it and keep yourself motivated to stick with it even when summer ends.

Easy full-body workout

Swimming engages every part of your body, from your toes to your fingertips. If you keep changing different swimming strokes, you’ll get a feeling for different intensities for various body parts, so that you can adapt your workout to your preferred muscle group. However, no matter which swimming style you do, you won’t have to worry about developing your muscles unevenly (like you would if you were doing an individual exercise at the gym), because every part of your body will be doing something while you’re swimming. And, unlike artificial exercise, where you’re trying to simulate an action (like lifting weights), swimming is an actual survival technique so your body will naturally push you to finish your workout and reach that edge of the pool.

Relax and meditate

Water has amazing calming abilities. When you are in water, you can just zone out everything else and focus only on your movement. If you’re angry, the water will physically lower your body temperature and help you calm down, plus, you’ll let go all of that extra energy. Swimming can be a fun thing to do with other people, but you can also make it a time that you devote to yourself. Again, unlike practicing in the gym, you don’t have to worry as much about whether you’re doing it “right”. As long as you’re not feeling any pain and you’re staying above water, you’re doing something good. Not to mention that, in case you have a beach nearby, you can spend time swimming around, enjoying the scenery and the view you’d never be able to see from land.

Look great

Swimming isn’t just a sport – it’s a culture. From beachside fashion to the latest sports swimsuits, everyone’s looking for a way to look great in water. If you’re a girl who’s into fashion, a piece of Contessa Volpi Italian swimwear that makes you look amazing will give you the extra motivation to go swimming and show off that style. Then again, if you’re feeling self-conscious about your body, going to the pool or beach regularly will help you gain confidence and realize that it’s about what your body can do – not what it looks like.

Heal injuries

The water is very therapeutic, and it can help you get back in shape after an injury. Since the water supports about 90% of your weight, the burden will be taken off your joints and you can do exercise that you definitely wouldn’t have been able to do on land. It’s also great for people who have trouble moving above water, for example, because of excess weight, as it will help them get exercise without being in pain.

Increase energy

Don’t like feeling drained and tired after a workout? Nobody does. That is why swimming will boost your metabolism and make you feel a lot more energized throughout the week. You can use your lunch break and go for a quick 30-minute swim where there’s no sweating and you’ll go back to work feeling fresher than ever. This will also help reduce signs of aging, which often come with lack of movement.

If all of this isn’t enough to convince you to give swimming a try, then how about the fact that it burns nearly double the calories than running or cycling? Or that it helps lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke? There truly are so many positive sides to it, that the only thing you are missing now is a pool pass and an exercise buddy to support you until you get used to going by yourself. Perhaps the best time to start is right when you come back from a beachside vacation, as a replacement for the ocean you’ll certainly miss at that point!