8 Benefits of Getting Your Workout in Water
What do the pool, beach, and ocean all have in common? Easy: they’re all an excellent place to get your daily workout! In addition to making your daily sweat sesh fun, working out in water also has some serious health benefits. Namely, it’s low impact on your joints and won’t worsen or inflame existing injuries or sore spots. Here’s everything you need to know about working out in water and why it could be such an excellent choice for you. 8 Benefits of Hydro Training Whether you go for a swim at the beach or take part in an aerobics class at your local gym, you’ll enjoy reaping these nine benefits: 1. Less Stress on Your Joints If you’ve got a bad knee or shoulder, which regular exercise tends to inflame,e look no further than hydro training. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people can exercise longer in water than they would on land since there is no increase in joint or muscle pain with increased effort. The CDC goes on to state: “For people with arthritis, it improves the use of affected joints without worsening symptoms. People with rheumatoid arthritis have more health improvements after participating in hydrotherapy than with other activities. Water-based exercise also improves the use of affected joints and decreases pain from osteoarthritis.” As you can see, swimming is an excellent option for anyone suffering from joint pain. It’s also one of the best ways to get a full-body workout without putting your body through the wringer in the process. 2. Better Health Swimming is truly a whole-body workout, and it helps you stay fit both inside and out. In recent years, studies have uncovered a link between swimming and improved immune function, lower stress levels, and decreased risk of chronic disease. According to the CDC, even two hours a week of swimming can reduce the risk of chronic illness. Additionally, swimming stimulates endorphin production, which can increase positivity, promote better sleep, and cut stress. 3. Swimming Offers Built-in Resistance When you think of resistance training, you might immediately bring to mind images of resistance bands and weights. That’s not truly necessary to get a great workout, though. In fact, swimming is one of the best resistance workouts out there. Because you’re propelling your body through water, which has much more resistance than air, you don’t have to add any props to ensure you’re working hard. This is part of the reason swimming is such an excellent activity for anyone who wants to improve strength and endurance. 4. You can Build Intensity Slowly Not quite Michael Phelps? That’s okay! Swimming allows you to build intensity and resistance slowly, ensuring your workout matches both your goals and your fitness level. Simple things, like swimming for a more extended period or adding a prop like a kickboard can change your workout entirely, making it harder or targeting specific muscle groups. Need to slow things down a bit? Incorporate more rest or take fewer laps around the pool! 5. You Won’t Get Hot If you, like many of us, have a small level of heat tolerance, swimming could be your ideal workout. While most activities at the gym require you to get hot and sweaty, swimming keeps you cool. There’s no question that working out is more enjoyable when you’re not overheating, or that it’s nice not to sweat through your shirt during your activity of choice. Don’t let the coolness of swimming fool you, though, water increases blood circulation and ensures your muscles and bones are getting all the vital support they need during your workout. 6. You Gain Skills Over Time It’s satisfying to observe yourself getting better at something. Swimming is no exception. While learning skills like breathing, sighting, and strokes can be difficult at first, they’ll improve if you stick with them. This improvement builds confidence and helps you feel more accomplished in your daily workouts. 7. You can Swim at Any Age There are probably 80-year old Crossfit athletes out there, but not many of them. That’s because Crossfit and other HIIT activities are tough on your body, and will cause your joints to break down over time. That typically rules them out for seniors and older adults who want to stay active. Swimming, however, is a wonderfully low-impact activity that you can do from childhood well into old age. Even better, you’re not just limited to swimming. Try a hydro interval training class, water aerobics, or even paddleboard yoga to get your share of splashy fun. 8. It can Improve Your Posture When you swim or work out in the water, there’s no temptation to hunch your body under weight. This helps preserve the integrity of your spine and ensure that you’re not inadvertently injuring yourself when you’re trying to workout. Because of this, swimming is a chiropractor-approved activity that supports your overall spine and joint health. Hit the Water for a Body-Healthy Workout You’ll Love If you’ve been looking for a way to take your workout to the next level, get out of the gym and head to the beach, pool, or ocean. Swimming, hydro interval training, and other water-based activities are an excellent choice for anyone who wants to build strength and endurance and tone muscles while also preventing injury and excess strain on the joints. Want to learn more about swimming and other spine-friendly activities? Contact our team of chiropractic specialists today!