Swimming is one of Australia’s most popular activities and with good reason! It’s a great way to keep fit and stay healthy. And it’s not just a summer pastime – you can gain the benefits of swimming all year round.
Not only is swimming a fun, social activity, it’s also a good way to relax and feel great – and an effective way of increasing immune function, making you more resilient to illness.
Swimming builds your fitness
Swimming is a great low-impact resistance workout. It tones muscles and builds strength, increases cardiovascular fitness and helps you to maintain a healthy weight. Unfortunately, when we take an extended break from a fitness activity, we can lose the benefits gained. Stopping swimming over winter could cause you to lose the benefits gained from months of swimming over the warmer months.
Regular swimming helps with confidence
Taking a break over winter could also see you lose the benefits gained in terms of confidence, skills, technique and abilities. Particularly for people still in the beginning stages of learning to swim, continuing to swim all year round helps improve skills and reduce the risk of taking a step (or stroke!) back in their progression.
Swimming chills you out
We don’t mean it makes you cold – after all, the Adelaide Aquatic Centre has a temperature controlled environment, so you won’t even know its winter while you are there! What we do mean is that swimming is great for calming the mind and relieving stress. The regular rhythm of the stroke, being immersed in the water and concentrating on the technique all help to make the experience relaxing. Swimming can even help you to sleep better!
Swimming helps to ward off the winter ills
Unfortunately, some people feel that when winter comes along that they are doing the right thing by stopping swimming lessons so that they don’t catch a cold.
If you are swimming this winter you will be fitter and develop a stronger immune system, making it less likely that you will have common winter illnesses.
Swimming is a great social activity
People today spend more time on their computers and mobile devices than ever before. Most of us don’t get in enough exercise and physical activity. Swimming is a terrific way to get more active, gain confidence and interact with other people.
See you at the pool.