5 Health Benefits of Swimming

4 comments

I am 66 and began swimming 8 months ago to do my first triathlon in June 2025. Today, 12 February, 2025, I had a medical checkup and my doctor reviewed the results and told me, “whatever you are doing, stay on it because your results are phenomenal!” I smiled in appreciation and said, it’s swimming and she concurred with all the points made in the above article.

Godfrey Eta February 13, 2025

At 65, I started swimming a couple hundred yards in a small pool at the gym after my workout for a “cooldown.” As time went on, I found I was looking forward more to the swim than the workout. I’m 70 now, and routinely swim 2k at a stand alone olympic size pool that the city and the university built. I’ve been doing this now for 5 years and I am happy that I have not tired of it yet. The schedule with the pool is such that lap swimmers can only swim from 5am-7am or 12-2pm. I always try to make the early schedule and it provides this old retired guy a reason to get up and a good start to the day.

Dallas Ryan October 01, 2024

I was a runner for 28 years. 3 to 4 runs per week, 4 miles per run. On 6/19/23 went for a run, got 3 miles in and it started raining. Went to our local aquatic center to finish my workout. I swam 25 meters and it gassed me so bad that I got pissed. I thought I was in shape. Been swimming 3 to 4 days a week. I have worked up to over a mile each workout. Setting goals for each week. At 66 years old, l am not feeling the sourness I got from running.

Chuck Harms January 16, 2024

Your article gave me an excuse to have a swimming pool constructed in the yard. As you said, swimming is low impact so even people with joint problems or those recovering from injuries could remain in shape. This will surely help my grandparents and my sister with scoliosis to stay healthy and in shape. https://www.distinctiveswimmingpools.com/pool-construction

Elaina D'Agostino April 04, 2023

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Swimming is a great low-impact exercise that has a wide variety of applications no matter your goal. Whether you swim competitively, to stay in shape, or to help you recover from injury, a workout in the pool can leave you with phenomenal gains in many different key health areas, without the annoying joint pain that other workouts such as running or tennis can often cause. 

Here are 5 important health benefits that swimming offers, no matter your fitness level.

1. Swimming Will Make You Lean.

Swimming is a full body workout that engages more muscles in the human body than just about any other activity. The main muscles developed from swimming include your legs, abdominals, arms, shoulders, glutes, and back. Because of this full body engagement, swimming burns much more calories compared to other sports. If your goal is to lose weight, or cut down on body fat, training at your local pool consistently can lead to very tangible gains no matter your fitness level. 

2. Swimming Benefits Heart Health

With swimming being a predominantly aerobic exercise, it has a positive effect on cardiovascular health as a whole. The best swimmers have high levels of cardiovascular endurance. Over time, swimming allows the heart to become stronger and trains the lungs to become more efficient at using oxygen. No matter the intensity or duration of a swimming workout, swimming has been proven to show improvement in hypertension and blood pressure. 

3. Swimming Is Very Low Impact

Swimming is unique in the fact that your entire body is supported by the water. The water keeps you buoyant throughout your workout. This means for people with sensitive joints, or people recovering from an injury; swimming is a great way to remain active and in shape. Many pro athletes use swimming as a way to supplement their training and to prevent injury. 

4. Helps With Mental Health

Like any form of physical exercise, swimming releases feel good hormones called endorphins. Being surrounded by water, you won’t feel yourself sweating because the water will actively cool you down. Add that to the unique feeling of floating in a body of water, and you’ll feel refreshed and reset after a workout in the pool. Whether you’re stressed from work or feeling overwhelmed with things on your plate, a trip to the pool can alleviate some of that stress and help you take a needed mental break. 

5. Swimming Has Variety

The fun part of swimming is that there are tons of different ways you can do it. You can learn freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, or even butterfly. All of these different strokes work different muscles and have their own set of benefits. Aside from the four strokes, you can also work your legs by kicking with a kick board, or ease into it with something less intense such as water aerobics. 

No matter your prior experience or fitness level, swimming has many different benefits which have a positive effect on health. 

Take a trip down to your local pool, your body will thank you. 

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