Health Wellness How effective is swimming on joints and muscles?

Mondo Health Updated on 2024-02-24

Edit|Yiyi Health said.

*|Yiyi Health said.

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Among many sports, swimming is prized for its low-impact, full-body workout. For the exercise of joints and muscles, swimming shows its unique advantages. This article will detail the effects of swimming on joints and muscles, as well as the things to pay attention to and related recommendations when doing swimming exercises.

Mr. Zhang is a middle-aged white-collar worker, and his long-term office sitting causes him to experience discomfort in his shoulder, neck and lumbar spine. The doctor advised him to try swimming to relieve his symptoms in addition to his daily physical **. After a period of swimming, Mr. Zhang found that his shoulder, neck and lumbar spine discomfort had improved significantly, and his body had become more flexible and strong.

The effect of swimming on joints and muscles is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Reduces joint impact: Due to the buoyancy of the water, the weight of the body is dispersed when swimming, which greatly reduces the impact of the joints. This can be very beneficial for people with arthritis, muscle pain, or after an injury.

Strengthens muscles: Swimming requires the involvement of all muscles of the body, including the limbs, core muscles, and back muscles. Different swimming styles can work different parts of the muscle group in a targeted manner, improving muscle strength and endurance in an all-round way.

Improves body flexibility: The body needs to perform various stretching and twisting movements while swimming, which helps to improve the flexibility of the joints and the stretchability of the muscles. Long-term swimming exercise can significantly improve the flexibility of the body.

Improves cardiorespiratory fitness: Swimming is an aerobic exercise that is effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness and endurance levels. The improvement of cardiorespiratory fitness helps to better supply oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, promoting muscle recovery and growth.

Here are some specific things you can do when doing a swimming workout:

Choose the right stroke: Choose the right stroke for your workout based on your personal preferences and exercise goals. For example, freestyle works all over the body, while breaststroke has a good effect on the thighs and core.

Control the intensity and time of exercise: Arrange the intensity and time of swimming reasonably according to personal physique and exercise experience. Beginners can start with a low intensity, short period of time, and gradually increase the intensity and time to avoid excessive fatigue and injury.

Combine with other workouts: Swimming can be combined with other workouts such as strength training, cardio, etc. This can improve the overall physical fitness and achieve better workout results.

When doing a swimming exercise, you need to pay attention to the following:

Warm-up and stretching: Proper warm-up and stretching exercises before swimming can prevent muscle strains and joint sprains while swimming.

Pay attention to water quality and hygiene: Choose a swimming pool with clean water and good hygienic conditions for exercise. Rinse your body in time after swimming to avoid problems such as infection.

Avoid swimming on an empty or full stomach: Swimming on an empty stomach may cause low blood sugar, while swimming on a full stomach may affect digestive function. It is best to do a swimming workout within 1-2 hours after a meal.

Adjust your workout plan according to your personal situation: Everyone's physique and workout goals are different, so you need to adjust your swimming workout plan according to your personal situation to avoid blindly following trends or overexercising.

In order to better achieve the effect of swimming on the joints and muscles, here are some relevant suggestions:

Seek professional guidance: When it comes to swimming workouts, you can seek guidance from a professional trainer. Professional coaches can develop a suitable training plan and provide you with the right technical guidance according to your physique and goals.

Variety: In addition to swimming, you can also try other water sports or land sports to enrich your workout. A variety of exercise methods can comprehensively improve physical fitness and avoid the boredom caused by monotonous exercise.

Focus on diet and rest: Eating properly and getting enough rest is key to recovery and growth. While doing swimming exercise, it is necessary to pay attention to a balanced diet and nutritional supplements, and ensure sufficient sleep and rest time.

Regular check-ups and assessments: Regularly check and evaluate your physical condition so that you can identify problems and adjust your workout plan in a timely manner. You can learn about your physical condition and exercise effect through physical examinations, sports performance evaluations, etc.

As a low-impact, full-body exercise, swimming has a significant effect on the joints and muscles. By choosing the right swimming style, controlling the intensity and duration of your workouts, and paying attention to related matters, we can make the most of swimming to build muscle strength, improve body flexibility, improve cardiorespiratory fitness, and more. At the same time, seeking professional guidance, variing your exercise regime, and focusing on diet and rest can also help us better achieve our joint and muscle training goals. Let's enjoy the fun of swimming while also gaining health and vitality!

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