Swimming is a full-body workout that strengthens both the muscles and the cardiovascular system.
Anyone who suffers from diseases of the lungs , such as asthma , can improve their respiratory performance and subjective well-being through regular swimming. Even people with previous joint diseases can practice this sport because the high density of the water means that only a fraction of our weight is carried on the body. Swimming can be practiced all year round with Lifeguard license.
Summary
Swimming is a very gentle sport and is suitable for many people, especially those with previous joint diseases.
It can have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, help with back pain and is also a good treatment for obesity.
Popular techniques include the breaststroke, backstroke, and crawl, but doing each correctly is important to avoid neck pain.
Possible dangers are sudden calf cramps and, especially in women, infection with a bacterial pathogen.
Contents
The swim entry
Swimming: Health benefits
Swimming for the sick
Swim right
Equipment for swimming
Dangers of swimming
The swim entry
A sufficient warm-up program is essential, especially when swimming – even more important than when running or cycling in order to avoid overexertion and injuries. Coordination and endurance are related when swimming: Only those who swim in a coordinated manner can swim with endurance.
(The situation is completely different with the baby swimming course : many babies find it pleasant to dive into the water, but they do not learn to swim themselves.)
Swimming: Health benefits
Regular swimming has a positive effect on muscles, joints, endurance and condition and also has a preventive effect: As a result, the heart rate when swimming is deceptively low – swimming is usually not as easy as many think and is more like more intensive endurance training.
Back problems: From an orthopedic point of view, swimming is healthy – because we only carry a tenth of our weight in the water , tendons , joints, ligaments and cartilage are spared during sports in the water. Freestyle swimming and backstroke are particularly ideal – breaststroke is particularly hard on the cervical spine and knee joints.
Overweight : Swimming helps you lose weight.
Swimming for the sick
Regular swimming can improve breathing for people with respiratory illnesses, people with damaged joints can move more easily in the water, and blood circulation is improved for people with circulatory disorders. You should not swim if you have ear problems such as a middle ear infection or are more sensitive to fungal diseases. When it comes to skin diseases, the water is important: chlorine water is less ideal for neurodermatitis and psoriasis sufferers , while seawater improves the symptoms. For psoriasis sufferers there is the possibility of a spa stay at the Dead Sea.
Physiotherapy in the water
Physiotherapeutic measures in the water are specifically suitable for arthritis , osteoporosis or after operations (e.g. on the knee). The latter pursues the goal of building muscle without straining the joints.
Swim right
Various swimming styles ensure variety in popular swimming. If you have trained yourself in the wrong swimming style, you can damage yourself through incorrect exertion.
Breaststroke is the most common swimming style. Anyone who complains of neck pain is not swimming relaxed, and that can cause herniated discs in the cervical spine. Breathing in above water and breathing out under water takes the strain off your neck when you swim breaststroke. Incorrectly executed leg scissors can lead to incorrect loading of the pelvis and put a strain on the hip and knee joints.
Backstroke: Backstroke is best for the spine and joints;
Front crawl: Many people stick their heads out of the water too high – this causes neck pain.
Read more » Movement therapy
Equipment for swimming
Swimming is very inexpensive when it comes to purchasing the equipment and the right swimwear is easy to find: You can indulge your passion for fashion with swimming trunks, bikinis and swimsuits.
Dangers of swimming
There are bruises only when you collide with the edge of the pool. Otherwise, the risk of injury when swimming is lower than in any other sport.
Mushrooms while swimming
Important for women: Immediately after swimming, get out of your wet bathing suit! In this way, vaginal thrush and bacterial vaginosis can be avoided.
In the swimming pool, where many people go barefoot, the risk of contracting athlete’s foot is higher because the pathogens of athlete’s foot can penetrate more easily into damp, soft skin. Bathing shoes can help preventively.