Swimming is one of those things most people learn to do when they’re children, but never really do it ever again. A lot of you probably went to a local swimming pool and learned how to swim, maybe getting a few badges along the way. For whatever reason, you stopped going and have never properly swum since.
Now, as adults, you’re looking for new and exciting ways to get fit, and swimming is on your radar once more. Is this an activity that’s worth getting into? Let’s view the pros and cons to find out!
Pro: Great for Your Overall Fitness
Swimming is seen as one of the best activities for your overall fitness. Firstly, you are working your entire body whenever you swim, and you’re against constant resistance from the water. Your muscles have to work hard to keep you afloat and propel you forwards – it leads to muscle development and weight loss.
Pro: Excellent For Your Joints
A lot of physical activities are great for your fitness, but terrible for your joints. Running is the best example of this; yes, you will get fit if you run, but it loads up the joints and can cause so much wear and tear. This is why so many runners suffer from knee, ankle, and hip problems later in life. Swimming is known for being easy on the joints, meaning you can exercise without feeling in pain. In fact, it’s something that’s recommended for people with back or joint pain because it strengthens your muscles without overloading the joints.
Con: Can Be Somewhat Dangerous
While swimming reduces the risk of joint injuries, you could argue that it presents certain risks that aren’t as present in other fitness activities. Largely, this is thanks to where you swim. Talk to any personal injury lawyer, and they will tell you that swimming pools are a haven for accidents. All the water splashing on the surfaces means you’re always one step away from slipping over and hurting yourself. Drowning is also something to be aware of – though it is incredibly unlikely if you know how to swim and are swimming in a pool.
Con: Expensive
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage is that swimming can be very expensive. With other forms of training, there are ways to do it rather cheaply. Weight training can be made cheaper by doing it at home, and there are also cheap gym memberships available. Running or cycling can both be done anywhere for free! With swimming, you need to pay for a membership at your local pool, which tends to cost more than the average gym membership. Plus, there aren’t as many pools as there are gyms, so your choices are restricted, meaning you may have to settle for an expensive membership.
Overall, swimming is highly beneficial and well worth taking up if you want to achieve a better state of health. The only things to worry about are that you should be careful around the wet pool edges, and that it can be expensive.
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