Is swimming good exercise?

From running to cycling, yoga to CrossFit,  there are so many ways to get in your daily 30 minutes of exercise. Each has its own pros and can help improve your overall health. However, if you had to create a list ranking the popular  ways to exercise, there is one workout that almost always tops the list — swimming.

While swimming can often seem like a recreational activity, it is actually an incredibly effective and enjoyable form of exercise. Not only does it provide a full-body workout but it is low impact and easy on the joints. 

So … is swimming good exercise? Absolutely. In fact, it’s a great workout option, whether you are aiming to get fit, lose weight, or add variety to your routine.

Benefits of swimming as exercise

Along with diet, exercise plays an important role in your overall health. Most healthy adults should aim to get in  at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week.

But how you get in those 150 minutes is up to you. You can go for a walk, play softball on a rec league team, or even head to the links and get in a round of golf. 

Swimming, though, is one of the popular ways to exercise. In fact, swimming is the fourth  popular sport in the United States.

The popularity of swimming is not because it’s fun — although it is. Swimming provides myriad benefits, helping you to improve your physical and mental health without added stress.

Low impact

In water, you will feel lighter than you do on land because water’s buoyancy reduces the force of gravity. The deeper the water, the more noticeable the effects of buoyancy. In fact, the stress on your body can be reduced by up to 90 percent. 

With less stress on your joints, swimming is an ideal form of exercise for people who might have joint pain or mobility issues. Or, for athletes who want an effective form of cross training.

But low impact does not mean swimming is a less effective workout. Swimming is actually a full-body workout that uses muscles in the arms, legs, core, and back.

Cardiovascular endurance

One of the benefits of working out is the chance to improve your cardiovascular endurance — the measure of the heart and blood vessels’ abilities to get through an exercise session. When you are fit, or have good endurance, you are better able to do everyday activities such as climbing stairs or carrying groceries.

Yes, there is a way to make climbing steps easier.