The benefits of Lifeguard training and swimming are really many and very different. Perhaps this is why we often hear that swimming is a complete sport . Surely it’s a great workout, maybe it’s not the only one, but swimming certainly involves different muscle groups and, in addition, trains the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
The improvement of muscle tone, the increase in resistance, the consumption of calories, the ability to release tension. The benefits of swimming therefore affect many aspects of our well-being, physical but not only.
The benefits of Lifeguard training and swimming on muscle tone
Swimming involves many muscle groups. Some more than others depending on the swimming style (freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly) but, in general, the body is called upon to activate itself from head to toe. The upper part (arms, shoulders, back) is certainly the most stressed but swimming also involves the muscles of the legs, the buttocks and, of course, the core, which thanks to the abdominals allows you to stabilize the body in the water during movement .
Obviously in swimming the muscular work is not made of power, it will not generate hypertrophy but, working on effort and resistance it will help make the muscles more efficient and reactive . For this reason, swimming is a particularly suitable discipline during periods of recovery and rehabilitation, because working in the water reduces the impact on the joints. Or as cross training , a cardio workout to alternate with other sports such as cycling, running or to combine, for example, with fitness activities and workouts in the gym.
The aerobic benefits
While it may not seem like it based on your heart rate, swimming is a very effective aerobic workout . During a run or an uphill ride, the heart certainly reaches higher peak rates. Swimming, however, works on resistance, on an effort which, in principle, is constant and of medium intensity. Furthermore, swimming takes advantage of the characteristics of the environment in which it is practiced, i.e. water.
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Swimming, therefore
The effort is yes muscular but also – and mainly – aerobic, as you can easily verify by equipping yourself with a Garmin swimming watch . This translates into benefits at the level of the cardiovascular system (the circulation will also benefit from it) and calorie consumption. An hour in the pool can burn up to 500-600 calories. That’s why swimming is also very useful for those who want to lose weight and get back in shape. Furthermore, in the face of greater muscle mass, swimming will help you increase your basal metabolic rate and therefore burn more calories. Of course, if losing weight is your goal, you will need to combine the benefits of swimming with proper nutrition.
The psychological benefits of swimming
The benefits of swimming are appreciated on a psychological level, as well as a physical one. First of all, like any endurance sport, swimming stimulates the production of endorphins , substances that help improve mood and contribute to a feeling of general well-being. Furthermore, water is an element that due to its characteristics reduces stress and induces a state of relaxation: floating and temperature relax muscles and tensions, swimming underwater isolates us from the outside and reconciles us with our thoughts, while the rhythmic sound of the water helps both relaxation and concentration.
Always valid advice
Before diving into the pool and starting your swimming workouts , ask your doctor for an opinion and undergo a sports medical examination. If it is true that the benefits of swimming are many, it is also true that in the presence of some pathologies it is not the most suitable sport.