Mental Health Benefits of Swimming
BY: JUAN FRANCISCO BURBANO
Worry, stress and fear are normal responses to lived or perceived situations and it is understandable that people experience these emotions in the context of a pandemic. In recent times we have been forced to change our lifestyle. Many articles have been published related to the application of basic hygiene rules that contribute to keeping citizens free from contagion, which is why the use of masks, constant hand washing and physical distancing are necessary. However, it is very important not to neglect our mental and physical health.
Swimming has many benefits in relation to mental abilities. Most of the benefits that can be obtained with swimming, apart from the obviously physical ones, are related to mental health and the management of emotions.
At Seal Swimming, we firmly believe that swimming is essential to building not just strong bodies, but healthy minds, self-esteem, social skills and community values, as well as potentially lifesaving water safety awareness.
Nowadays, talking about mental health has become a key conversation because as it is rightfully being given the importance it deserves in our lives. It is essential, therefore to know what activities can free our minds from the stress of everyday life and help us achieve greater peace of mind.
We always hear people say that practicing a sport makes you feel good and there is clear evidence to back that up. So why do we choose to ignore the evidence? Is it a myth or a reality? After years as an athlete and swimmer and countless hours in the water, I can safely say that the benefits of swimming are a reality!
Here are just some of the benefits of swimming for your mental well-being:
State of mind
Concentration and attention
Management of pressure, stress and anxiety
Memory and mental clarity
Swimming helps to improve concentration and focus attention, contributes to the ability to define objectives and in the management of pressure, stress and anxiety. This is largely because in swimming one learns to control breathing, to the extent that in everyday situations we are more able to control other types of anxiety that life brings on. This is also due to the focus of the mind on the activity at hand and the environment in which the activity takes place, which greatly influences mental tranquility.
Floating in the water is considered a therapeutic method of muscle and mental relaxation that allows us to expel toxins from our body and reduce adrenaline levels, a pleasant and relaxing sensation that cannot be obtained with the practice of other sports or in any other environments.
Swimming is the most complete sport that exists, according to the World Health Organization. It contributes to almost all bodily and mental aspects of our being without us noticing it, reaching even the most hidden areas of our mind and helping to improve memory and mental clarity. The reason is simple: immersion in water increases blood flow to the brain.
Swimming improves our mood. By practicing it, the brain substances that produces a pleasant sensation, endorphins are generated, improving your mood, which helps to face the day with more energy.
Likewise, it has been discovered that swimming "also strengthens values such as patience, resilience and perseverance". Practicing it, apart from benefiting just your personal life, will also lead to better habits or healthy mental practices that will help you in the development of your social and professional life.
Swimming helps repair cells from any brain damage at the molecular and behavioural level. This causes benefits to occur in the neurotransmitters and the hormones responsible for stress, thus significantly alleviating the symptoms of depression.
Swimming is recommended by most doctors when diagnosing spinal or musculoskeletal conditions because of its low impact nature. Your muscles work, but your joints do not suffer as they do with land-based exercise.
However, swimming goes much further. Many of us think only about the physical benefits we achieve when we take part in sports, without being fully aware of the many other transformations that it can offer.
For more information on benefits that swimming can have on your young ones contact one of our swimming specialist or sign up for new season of group and individual classes at Seal Swimming.
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