Swimming For Seniors? Is It Good or Bad?
Have you reached the retirement age of sixty? Do you think of yourself as a senior? Many do, and many don’t. But despite this, it is a time when you want to keep yourself healthy. Have you thought about the benefits of swimming for seniors?
You’d be hard-pressed to find someone with something negative to say about the health benefits of swimming. That’s because of one simple fact: swimming is fun. There is just no doubt about it, and having fun is, well, fun! But did you know that swimming has other benefits, especially for individuals over the age of 55?
Here are a few of the top benefits of swimming for seniors:
Swimming increases muscle tone and strength.
Many seniors have day-to-day mobility issues and pain, making many types of exercise difficult. Swimming is one of the easiest ways for seniors with physical limitations to stay active and build muscle tone and strength.
Swimming improves flexibility and balance.
Flexibility and balance are some of the most important skills for older adults. These things help prevent falls, which become more dangerous as we age. Swimming can vastly improve flexibility and balance, and, thus, mobility.
The act of swimming forces your body to make a vast range of motions. This subsequently allows joints and ligaments to stay limber. When you swim, your arms swing, your head and spine twist, and with every single stroke, you stretch your body from head to toe. “Voilà!”: flexibility! In addition, research shows that seniors who swim regularly are one-third less likely to fall and injure themselves.
Swimming is heart-healthy.
Swimming is an aerobic exercise that strengthens the heart, leads to better blood flow, and can even combat inflammation (shown to be linked to heart disease) in your body. Three days a week, just 30 minutes of pool exercise a day has provided significant health benefits to seniors. What a great way to get moving!
Swimming helps you control your weight.
The act of swimming is also considered one of the best ways to burn calories, which is a key to controlling your weight. The number of calories used while you swim depends on many factors (e.g., your physiology and the intensity with which you swim, and which stroke you decide to use), but generally speaking, for every 10 minutes of swimming you perform, you can burn anywhere from 60 to 150 calories.
There you have it: swimming is fun AND good for you! Now get out and enjoy that pool. It’s good for your heart and your happiness!
Build Your Custom Inground Swimming Pool Today
Precision Pools & Spas is a top-rated pool builder servicing the Houston, Harris County TX area and all the surrounding counties. We have two locations to visit; one is Sugarland TX and the other in Magnolia TX.
We will be excited to bring the great benefits of swimming for seniors to your backyard. Great wellness seniors and everyone of all ages can enjoy.
Contact Precision Pools & Spas to learn more about our pool services.