I always tell myself that I am going to take advantage of the community gym in my apartment complex, but I get lazy and always put it off. Over the past couple of days, my roommates and I have been swimming every night, and I got to thinking, "What exactly are we getting out of this?" The only form of exercise that I usually get is from walking, and it's not even voluntary. Let’s dive in and find out more about the benefits of swimming...

1. Stress Relief:

Being submerged in water dulls the amount of sensory information that bombards your body, which helps to calm you.

2. Numerous Ways to Exercise:

- Water Aerobics: works out the whole body; conducted in the shallow part of the pool, provides cardiovascular benefits
- Flexibility Training: swimming automatically requires you to reach, stretch, twist, and pull your way through the water

3. Physical Benefits:

- Increases Circulation: swimming exercise reduces your blood pressure, strengthens your heart and improves your aerobic capacity.
- Rehabilitates Muscles: swimming builds lean, flexible muscles that are both strong and long lasting and is achieved simply through the act of moving through the water, where every stroke meets water resistance, no matter what speed.
- Burns anywhere from 500-650 calories per hour. As an endurance sport, swimming can burn about three calories per mile per pound of body weight. If you are looking to lose weight, you will need to swim at least two or three times a week for at least half an hour.
- Relieves Pain: since swimming does not strain the connective tissues of the body, it is a good sport for physically challenged people.

The end of Summer is around the corner, so enjoy the pool as long as you can! If you don't have pool access, hit up the beach, a lake, or a community pool! Swimming has numerous physical benefits, so it’s smart to take advantage of it!

SOURCE:
Weil, Richard. "Swimming: Health and Disease Prevention - What Are the Benefits of Swimming? - MedicineNet." MedicineNet. N.p., 20 May 2015. Web. 05 Aug. 2015.
http://www.medicinenet.com/swimming/page4.htm