{"id":800,"date":"2022-11-09T14:14:36","date_gmt":"2022-11-09T13:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/?p=800"},"modified":"2022-02-17T14:51:17","modified_gmt":"2022-02-17T13:51:17","slug":"mental-health-benefits-of-swimming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/inspiration\/mental-health-benefits-of-swimming\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Health Benefits of Swimming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When it comes to physical benefits, swimming is a tough sport to beat. There\u2019s broad agreement that swimming is very beneficial for all age groups, in a physical sense. However, if you are a regular swimmer, there is no doubt that you have experienced the mental health benefits of swimming. If you are not a regular swimmer, these benefits might be the reason to start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Science\nhas much to say about why we feel these positive effects. Still, all\nof the swimming experts agree that swimming is very beneficial for\nthe mind, regardless of whether you are swimming in the public pool,\nat the beach, in a lake, or swimming in the pool in your backyard. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\nare some of the ways that swimming affects your mental health, mood,\nand overall being. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming\nlowers anxiety and depression. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming\nregularly, even just half an hour per day, has been shown to lower\nincidences of anxiety and depression and improve sleep quality and\nsleep patterns. In addition, swimming is a physical activity that\nreleases endorphins, which are known as natural feel-good hormones\nthat lead us to experience wellbeing, joy, and overall happiness. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On\ntop of that, swimming is also a great way to improve focus, memory,\nand concentration, especially for adults living with conditions such\nas dementia. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming\nprovides stress relief. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On\ntop of being very fun, swimming is also an effective way to relieve\nstress, possibly more effective than other types of physical\nexercise. Being in contact with water can help to relax both the body\nand mind. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being\nsubmerged in water, paying close attention to the swimming technique\nas you practice, and the steady rhythm of your strokes can have a\nmeditative effect on the psyche. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Swimming takes your mind off things. <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While\nyou are in the water, swimming, too many things are occupying your\nmind, and you are simply unable to worry about the things going on in\nyour life. In the water, you will be preoccupied with your breathing\npattern, the number of laps completed, your proximity to other\nswimmers to avoid a collision. Staying concentrated and keeping track\nof all of these things means that you will not be able to think about\nyour worries outside the water. Swimming gives you the opportunity to\nget a respite from your daily concerns, at least for a short while. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming\nprovides an opportunity for social interaction.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming\ncan be a group activity too, and social benefits should not be\nunderestimated. Swimming is a solitary sport, but it is also a team\nsport and also a hobby that can be shared and enjoyed with others.\nThis makes swimming a great way to meet people, share experiences, or\nsimply enjoy a hobby with someone else. The public pools and leisure\ncenters actively encourage the social part of the sport by hosting\ndifferent types of swimming events. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming\nprovides breathing regulation. <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An\nessential aspect of swimming is the swimmer\u2019s ability to regulate\ntheir breathing. When a person is stressed or panicked, they usually\ntake short, shallow, rapid breaths, which can lead to\nhyperventilation and possibly turn into a panic attack. However, you\nhave no choice but to regulate your breathing pattern while swimming,\nmaking it an excellent workout for your lungs, as it forces you to\ninhale and exhale evenly. Regulated breathing can help eliminate\ntoxins from the body and lower blood pressure, but it can also assist\nin overall relaxation. \n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When it comes to physical benefits, swimming is a tough sport to beat. There\u2019s broad agreement that swimming is very beneficial for all age groups, in a physical sense. However, if you are a regular swimmer, there is no doubt that you have experienced the mental health benefits of swimming. If you are not a…","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":801,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=800"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":803,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/800\/revisions\/803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=800"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=800"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swimmo.com\/secure\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}