Dive In: Why Swimming Is the Ultimate Exercise for Your Body, Mind, and Wellbeing

Some say swimming is tedious, inefficient, and ineffective for their fitness and health.

That’s not right.

In my long fitness and training experience people who claim the above suffer from one or all of the following conditions:

They can’t swim or are not well, which makes swimming uninviting.
Swimming long distances (for an hour), or swim sprinting (15 minutes) are challenging and hard to complete physically and mentally, which is why many give up and stick to the gym, running, or biking.
Swimming is not for everyone – you must have the passion and power to learn it well before you can enjoy it.

The reality: Swimming is one of the best all-around holistic health and fitness activities for humans, and it’s fun and rewarding like hell if you crack the secret to achieving the optimal swim technique.

I’ve highlighted the advantages of cardio swimming or sprint swimming and the vast mental health benefits it delivers in my past blog posts.

Here’s one of them:

Here’s A Killer Workout For You — Sprinting in the Pool Plus Bodyweight Strength Training

I swim a lot more these days, almost daily, depending on travel plans and location.

My 3 main reasons are:

1 — I walk 10K to 15K steps daily. There’s nothing better than jumping in a pool after a long walk.

2 — It’s sweltering where I am in Southeast Asia now — being in the water dramatically relieves the pressure the heat puts on you.

3 — I opt for a 30-minute 1000-meter cardio swim on one day and then an 8 to 12-set swim sprinting session the next, because these are the BEST training methods.

Mixing up your swimming workouts and habits makes you a better swimmer — you build lean muscles and burn fat all day – that is the key!

Water Therapy

Spending time in the water relaxes the mind, muscles, and joints, relieves anxiety and stress, and makes you feel happy, calm, and more focused.

5 ways swimming benefits your mental wellbeing

1 — Releases feel-good hormones.

2 — Boosts brain health.

3 — Soothes your mind and reduces anxiety.

4 — The calming effect of the color blue.

5 — Encourages socializing.

Swimming is about technique

The right technique allows you to move smoothly through the water and go as fast as possible without quickly getting tired and out of breath.

If you get in the water and go hard without fine-tuning your technique, you’re only fighting the water and its heavy resistance.

On the other hand, with your style mastered, you efficiently glide through it, maximizing your physical and mental health benefits.

Regardless of your technique, swimming still requires you to do much work. It’s physically and mentally challenging yet extremely rewarding once you’ve nailed it.

I enjoy sprinting in a pool, the ocean, or a lake — wherever there’s water, I’ll knock out a swim sprint.

Swim sprinting works out your cardiovascular system while strength-training your muscles in a safe environment, meaning you cannot injure yourself.

The water acts as a buffer for your joints and muscles with no impact on either – only your muscles must get busy and work overtime.

Final Thoughts

Move your body naturally in nature while exposed to the sun, and do it daily if you can.

That’s what makes swimming outdoors in a pool, ocean, or lake great.

Try these swim training tips – you’ll soon see a toned body and excess fat disappearing, while your mind becomes more relaxed, stress-free, and focused.

Rob