10 Health Benefits of Swimming

In the 1985 Ron Howard film "Cocoon," a group of seniors finds that a local swimming pool grants them renewed strength, increased vitality, and a rejuvenated sense of wellness. Although their newfound vigor stems from extraterrestrial origins, you don’t need alien intervention to enjoy the perks of your community pool.

Even without the help of enigmatic alien cocoons, consistent swimming can deliver numerous health benefits for everyone, particularly older individuals -- including feeling and appearing more youthful. Below, we explore 10 ways swimming can enhance your overall well-being.

10: The Ability to Do More with Less

Swimming provides a unique advantage that no other aerobic activity can match: the opportunity to exercise your body without putting excessive strain on your bones and joints. When the human body is in water, it naturally becomes buoyant. Submerged up to your waist, you only carry 50 percent of your body weight; up to your chest, it drops to 25 to 35 percent; and with water up to your neck, you bear a mere 10 percent of your weight, leaving the pool to support the remaining 90 percent.

This makes the pool a perfect environment for easing tight muscles and achy joints, particularly for those who are overweight or dealing with arthritis.

The Arthritis Foundation recommends specific types of exercise for arthritis patients: those that stretch muscles, strengthen muscles, and provide aerobic benefits. Swimming laps in the pool effectively combines all three of these elements!

A heated pool is even more beneficial for arthritis sufferers, as the warmth helps relax stiff joints. Research shows that individuals with rheumatoid arthritis experience greater health improvements from hydrotherapy compared to other forms of exercise. Additionally, water-based workouts have been proven to enhance joint mobility and reduce pain caused by osteoarthritis [source: CDC].

9: Increased Muscle Tone and Strength

Have you ever spotted a flabby dolphin or a frail competitive swimmer? Probably not. Swimming is an exceptional way to enhance muscular strength and muscle tone, outperforming many other aerobic activities.

Consider running, for instance. A jogger running laps around a track is merely moving through air. In contrast, a swimmer pushes through water, which is about twelve times denser than air [source: Yeager]. Every kick and arm stroke acts as a resistance exercise, and resistance training is renowned for building muscle tone and strength effectively.

Another advantage of aquatic exercise is its ability to enhance bone strength, particularly in women who have gone through menopause [Source: Huang, et al.].

8: Improved Flexibility

While gym machines often focus on isolating specific muscles (like a bicep curl machine), swimming engages the entire body in a wide range of motions, promoting joint and ligament flexibility. Your arms sweep through the water, your hips activate as your legs kick, and your head and spine rotate side to side. Additionally, each stroke involves reaching forward, elongating your body, which enhances efficiency in the water and provides a full-body stretch.

To further boost your flexibility beyond the natural benefits of swimming, consider ending your pool session with a series of gentle stretches. The buoyancy of the water helps maintain balance during challenging positions, such as a quadriceps stretch, allowing you to hold them longer.

7: A Healthier Heart

Beyond sculpting visible muscles such as pectorals, triceps, and quads, swimming also enhances the performance of your body’s most vital muscle: the heart.

As an aerobic activity, swimming strengthens the heart, increasing its size and efficiency in pumping blood, which improves circulation throughout the body. Studies also indicate that aerobic exercises like swimming can reduce inflammation, a critical factor in preventing heart disease [source: Columbia University Medical Center].

If you need more motivation, the American Heart Association states that just 30 minutes of daily exercise, such as swimming, can lower the risk of coronary heart disease in women by 30 to 40 percent. Furthermore, research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that regular aerobic exercise can effectively reduce blood pressure [source: Bobalik].

6: Weight Control

Previously, some believed that swimming, due to the cooler temperature of water compared to our bodies, might not be effective for weight loss. However, like many outdated exercise myths, this has been debunked. Swimming is now acknowledged as one of the most effective calorie-burning activities, making it an excellent choice for weight management.

The number of calories burned during swimming varies based on individual physiology and workout intensity. On average, for every 10 minutes of swimming: the breaststroke burns 60 calories; the backstroke burns 80; freestyle burns 100; and the butterfly stroke burns an impressive 150 calories.

To maximize calorie burn during swimming, incorporate interval training. This involves alternating between high-intensity bursts and recovery periods. For example, swim 50 yards (45.7 meters), rest for 10 seconds, then swim 100 yards (91.4 meters), rest again, and continue up to 300 yards (274.3 meters). Once you reach 300 yards, reverse the pattern [source: Petterson].

5: Improved Asthma Symptoms

Unlike gym workouts in dry air or outdoor activities that may trigger seasonal allergies or cold air issues, swimming allows you to exercise in a humid environment, which can help minimize exercise-induced asthma symptoms.

Swimming not only helps prevent asthma attacks for those prone to them but can also improve the condition overall. A study in the journal Respirology found that children who participated in a six-week swimming program experienced reduced symptom severity, fewer instances of snoring and mouth-breathing, and fewer hospital visits [source: Science Daily]. These benefits persisted even a year after the program ended [source: Physorg].

The study’s authors also noted that swimming can benefit individuals without asthma by increasing lung volume and promoting proper breathing techniques.

4: Improved Cholesterol

Health isn’t just about having low cholesterol levels; it’s about maintaining the right balance. Ideally, you want higher levels of HDL ("good" cholesterol) and lower levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol).

Swimming helps achieve this balance through its aerobic benefits, which have been shown to increase HDL levels. For every 1 percent rise in HDL cholesterol, the risk of heart disease-related death decreases by percent [source: Bobalik].

Additionally, aerobic exercises like swimming can improve endothelial health. The endothelium, the thin layer of cells lining your arteries, tends to stiffen with age. However, studies show that aerobic exercise can restore endothelial function in older adults to levels comparable to those 30 to 40 years younger. This is because aerobic activity promotes artery flexibility by causing them to expand and contract [source: Bobalik].

3: Lower Risk of Diabetes

Aerobic exercise is one of the most effective ways to prevent diabetes. Research shows that men reduced their diabetes risk by 6 percent for every 500 calories burned weekly through aerobic activities [source: Bobalik]. Swimming breaststroke for just 30 minutes three times a week can burn 900 calories, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 10 percent. Similarly, women who engaged in vigorous exercise, such as swimming, once a week saw a 16 percent reduction in diabetes risk compared to inactive women [source: Bobalik].

For those with type 1 diabetes, swimming’s aerobic benefits are especially valuable, as it enhances insulin sensitivity [source: University of Maryland].

The American Diabetes Association recommends that diabetics engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as swimming, spread over three days per week to help manage blood sugar levels.

2: Lower Stress, Higher Spirits and a Better Brain

In his 1883 book, "The Swimming Instructor," William Wilson wrote: "An experienced swimmer in the water can be counted among the happiest individuals, experiencing the most joyful moods and the fullest enjoyment of the happiest exercises."

While Wilson may not have known it in the 19th century, this happiness likely stems from the release of endorphins, one of swimming’s most delightful effects. Beyond the natural high, swimming also induces a relaxation response similar to yoga, thanks to the continuous stretching and relaxing of muscles paired with deep, rhythmic breathing. Swimming’s meditative quality, with the sound of breathing and splashing water, helps eliminate distractions and promotes mental clarity.

In addition to its mental and emotional benefits, swimming can positively alter the brain through hippocampal neurogenesis, a process where the brain regenerates cells lost due to stress [source: Borchard].

1: You Just Might Live Longer

If the first nine reasons didn’t fully highlight the health advantages of swimming, this one might: It can help you avoid an early death.

While we’re not suggesting you’ll achieve Aquaman-level immortality, swimming can certainly help reduce the risk of premature death. A 32-year study by the University of South Carolina involving 40,547 men aged 20 to 90 found that swimmers had a 50 percent lower mortality rate compared to runners, walkers, or sedentary individuals. The researchers concluded that these benefits apply equally to women [source: Prevention].