When you think of swimming as a sport what comes to mind? I think workout, muscles, and being very in shape. Of course, all those things are good. Swimming is good for those that want to lose fat and build muscle and also want to be in shape.
One thing that swimming does not do is help make your bones stronger. Yes, there are many benefits to swimming but it won't help with your bone strength.
The reason? Swimming is not a weight-bearing exercise, which is classified as an activity that you do on your feet.
Studies have shown that elite swimmers have lower bone density than those that don't even exercise.
THAT'S CRAZYSwimming will help with balance and coordination which when you get older you struggle with a lot. A person that is not able to do a lot of weight-bearing exercises due to personal reason like arthiritis or they just don't have the ability to hold themselves up then swimming is a really great way for them to get some sort of exercise.
Swimming is not a bad thing at all, but it is also important to do exercises outside of the pool so you are able to have strong bones.
It is important to remember that swimming is very beneficial to your health, but if you are trying to make your bones stronger and decrease your chances from them becoming brittle then you should probably do some other activities such as playing sports, lifting weights, going for a walk or a run or anything else that includes you being on your feet.
Sheehan Jan. (2015). The effect of swimming on bone strength. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/443091-the-effect-of-swimming-on-bone-strength/
I think these are good points, but I also think it would be interesting to look into how it helps your respiratory system as well. It helps to build lung endurance.
ReplyDeleteI was talking about the swimming part! As far as bones, you would think you would need strong bones to help support the muscle that you build from swimming. Interesting how your bones are lighter when you are a swimmer, but it makes sense when you think about floating.
DeleteVery engaging title, along with interesting facts. Would you suggest swimming as a warm up when working out?
ReplyDeleteI LOVE YOUR TOPIC OVERALL. THE INFORMATION THAT IS PROVIDED IS VERY GOOD SUPPORTIVE DETAILS . I LOVE HOW YOU MENTION ALOT OF DIFFRENT TOPICS AND GAVE GOOD POINTS FOR BEHIND THEM.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to start swimming for exercise and now i want to even more! might have to make my sister start with me. Thank you for the great information!!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that an elite swimmer can have lower bone density than someone who doesn't workout!
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