Benefits of Swimming

As Uni is now in full swing, it is time once again to hit the books. However, as with every semester, trying to juggle assignments that are always, without fail every semester, due all at once, going to class, work and a having a social life can lead to feelings of stress and anxiety. It may be a surprise then that swimming can actually improve not only or physical well-being, but also improve our mental health and well-being.

Here are some of the benefits swimming may have on our physical and mental well-being.

1. Swimming improves social well-being

Now as you get busier and busier during the semester trying to meet deadlines, it may be hard to keep an active social life. This is where swimming can help, as it is seen as a very social activity. By taking just an hour out of your day to take a class, train with a friend, or train with a coach you are already improving your social well-being. By combining exercise with socialising this can help lower levels of anxiety and depression, which can help create a clear and focused mind.

2. Swimming teaches goal orientation

This is a vital skill needed during uni and work and surprisingly can be achieved by swimming on a regular basis. This is because the goals we set ourselves in the pool, whether that's improving lap times or recovering from an injury with water rehabilitation, setting these goals and achieving them is the key. This can lead to these skills be transferred to outside the pools and into our everyday lives. Very helpful to meet deadlines and get those assignments in on time.

3. Swimming makes you smarter (Yes, really!)

Regular exercise, such as swimming, helps to improve memory function and thinking skills. This is achieved as regular exercise reduces inflammation and insulin resistance in the brain, which fosters new brain cell growth. This means that swimming my actually help to achieve better grades, even get those pesky HD's that are sometimes hard to achieve.

4. Swimming burns more calories than jogging

What list on the benefits of exercise would be complete without a physical benefit. If you are strapped for time but still want to be healthy and fit, give a quick swim session a go. Swimming laps for one hour actually burns more calories than jogging, with swimming burning as much as 715 calories compared to jogging which burns in excess of 606 calories.

Therefore, swimming is the way to go to help improve physical and mental performance during a tough semester ahead. The only thing it won't do is do your assignments for you.


For more information on our Aquatics and Swimming programs click here.

For more benefits of swimming visit this swimming world magazine article that expands on this information.