…less irritation to the airways. Swimming also helps strengthen your lung and over time improves your lung capacity and function.
4.) It Strengthens Your Heart
In addition to toning visible muscles like pectorals, triceps and quads, swimming also helps improve the most important muscle in our bodies: the heart.
Because swimming is an aerobic exercise, it serves to strengthen the heart, not only helping it to become larger, but making it more efficient in pumping — which leads to better blood flow throughout your body.
How to Get Started
Whether you are 10 years old or approaching 80, learning how to swim can be an intimidating endeavor–especially if you never learned. Despite its daunting qualities, swimming is an important skill that is worth the effort to learn.
If you’re ready to get started and learn to swim, experts recommend getting a swim coach or joining a masters swimming group in your area. Don’t be intimidated by the name; ‘masters’ just means over age 20.
Masters swimming accommodates all levels, from beginners to advanced, and you don’t have to want to compete to join. This type of group supports recreational swimming for fitness and is a great way to learn technique — which is everything in swimming. Masters swimming accommodates all levels, from beginners to advanced, and you don’t have to want to compete to join. This type of group supports recreational swimming for fitness, and is a great way to learn technique — which is everything in swimming.
Getting the rhythm of the strokes and the breath can be overwhelming at first. Coaches break it down and take you there slowly, practicing one part at a time.
Gradual Learning
For those afraid of the water or simply nervous about the process and what it takes to learn to swim, know that it is okay to take things slowly. Begin by literally getting your feet wet and gradually increase the amount of your body put into the water. Allow yourself eventually to stand in the water completely and away from the edge of the pool. To calm your nerves, stay in the shallow part of a pool until you feel comfortable in the water.