You may associate swimming with childhood, but swimming is good for seniors too! This popular pastime also offers plenty of benefits to adults. Being active is an important way to stay strong and healthy, and it’s important to find a form of exercise you enjoy. Hitting the pool may feel like you’re playing, but it offers some serious payoffs.
No matter what age you are, swimming is an excellent form of exercise. Even if you’ve always been a fan of other workouts, like running or riding a bike, you may want to consider adding a few laps to your routine. Here are some of the ways swimming can help you feel your best.
10 Reasons Swimming is Great for Active Adults
You probably know that swimming can keep you fit, but you may not realize how many ways it can improve your life. This is a sampling of all the benefits of swimming for seniors.
1. A Full-Body Workout
Moving through the water requires you to work nearly every muscle in your body. You not only have to move your arms and legs, but the muscles in your abdomen and back have to flex to coordinate those movements. The result is a workout that targets many muscles at the same time.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Fitness
Using all those muscles at once is an excellent way to get your heart pumping. Regular swimming can strengthen your heart, improve lung function, and even lower blood pressure.
3. Gentle on Joints
Whether you’re nursing an injury or dealing with a chronic condition like arthritis, joint problems can make it hard to exercise. But when you’re in the pool, the buoyancy of the water takes the pressure off your joints, enabling you to get a good workout without the pain.
4. Any Age and Fitness Level
No matter what your age is or how much you exercise, you can get a solid workout in the pool. You can learn to swim at any age, and even if you’re very fit, you can learn new strokes for an added challenge. Start slow, and as you improve in skill and fitness, you can increase your speed for a harder workout. Swimming is accessible and enjoyable for just about anyone.
5. Torches Calories
Swimming is an excellent choice if you’re watching your weight. Because it’s such a full-body workout, it burns a lot of calories. While you’re in the water, you are constantly moving, so even when you’re resting, you’re still expending energy. On top of all that, your body has to work to maintain your body temperature, which also uses calories. All of that adds up to serious calorie expenditure, making swimming a great way to stay slim.
6. Improved Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep can go a long way toward making sure you have a good day. A healthy sleep life has been shown to improve mood, energy levels, immune function, and even mental acuity. Research shows that regular exercise, such as swimming, improves people’s sleep and quality of life.
7. Reduced Stress and Anxiety
A good swim workout causes your body to release endorphins, giving you a heightened sense of calm and well-being. At the same time, exercise reduces levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline. Some people also find swimming to be a calming, mindfulness meditation.
8. Improved Cognitive Function
Staying mentally strong is just as important as keeping your body fit. Research suggests that swimming may improve cognitive function, possibly because it improves blood flow in the brain.
9. Better Bone Health
A regular swim exercise program has been shown to boost bone mineral density in post-menopausal women. This age group struggles to increase their bone density, so it’s good news for people who are working to maintain healthy bone mass.
10. Swimmers Live Longer
Research shows that swimming as a form of exercise positively impacts many common health conditions. It improves outcomes for obesity, cancer, pulmonary disease, and cerebral palsy. Swimmers have a 41% lower risk of death from heart disease or stroke and a 28% lower risk of early death. Considering all the benefits listed above, it seems clear that swimming is good for seniors and allows them to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Get Started With Swimming Clubs and Classes
So, if you’re excited to hit the pool and enjoy the benefits that swimming offers to seniors, where should you begin? There are lots of options available for swimmers, whether you’re just learning to swim or practically a fish. Check with your local recreation center or public pool to see what they offer.
Swimming Lessons
Swimming lessons aren’t just for young children. There is a wide range of classes available for adults as well. You can start with the basics or focus on more advanced skills, depending on which class is right for you.
Lap Swimming
Most pools have a time set aside for people to swim laps. Lanes are usually designated for different speeds, so make sure you’re in the right one for your pace. For some people, this is a great opportunity to get to know other swimmers, while others prefer to focus on their stroke in solitude.
Exercise Classes
You can boost your swim session even more by joining an aqua-aerobics class. To increase the resistance in the water, participants use equipment and follow the instructor’s directions. Fans say that it’s a fun, social way to get the fitness benefits of swimming.
U.S. Masters Swimming
Despite its name, you don’t have to be a master swimmer to join this nationwide nonprofit organization. U.S. Masters Swimming was formed to encourage and support adult swimmers around the nation, and they have more than 60,000 members. Through the organization, you can join a club to train with, discover events to compete in, and find instructors to work with.
Find a 55+ Community With a Pool for You!
If you’re interested in moving to a 55-plus community, we can help you at 55places.com. Because swimming is such a natural addition to an active adult life, many communities have pools. Our experts are here to guide you through the real estate market to find the ideal home for you.
