There are so many benefits to swimming. Mainly because you are using your whole body against the resistance of water it’s one of the more perfect cardiovascular workouts.
Swimming builds endurance and muscle strength while taking pressure off joints. I know when I was at my highest weight it was difficult to do anything because of hip and knee pain but swimming helped me stay active and that is when I started seeing some weight loss. When I started going to swim laps at the pool it was helping me get back to my original flexibility that I lost after high school. It also helped me improve my balance (literally and figuratively) and at first it was a peaceful and relaxing exercise but over time I began to challenge myself.
I started going more often, then I increased my pool time. Within a few years it became my favorite work out. I fell in and out of habit going to the pool but I can confidently say that I prioritize swimming. It’s not only the number of laps and my heart rate. I feel confident and powerful when I swim. It’s not about how other see me in the pool (even though I’ve been told it’s not as bad as I might believe) and more so about how it feels. Swimming is therapeutic, calming and restorative for the mind but challenging for the body, because I make it so. Of course not every swim is amazing, lots of times it’s so hard to get up in the morning and go for it. Even when I have to drag myself out of bed, pour myself a HUGE cup of coffee (with protein and BCAA’s) to get going. There has never been a day I have regretted a swim. Swimming makes me feel unstoppable, capable and overall amazing.
I would really like to put it out there that it’s important to have the right gear and be safe out there. I’m currently using a speedo cap and goggles, along with ear plugs. Also every pool will have a list of rules, FOLLOW THEM! There is also a little pool decorum everyone should follow, I highly recommend giving THIS a read so you are aware of proper etiquette for everyone to be happy at the end.