Swimming is said to be an exercise that is unparalleled for how it works your entire body, from your arms and legs to your core and back.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
1. The whole body gets a workout
Swimming is often considered a better exercise than other cardio workouts like running or biking which work only your legs. Swimming, on the other hand, fires up all the muscles in your body, from your arms and legs to your core and back. The result: A toned body, increased strength and endurance, and overall fitness.
2. Bad knees? Pregnant? No problem
For someone with an injury or joint problems like arthritis, doing load-bearing exercises like walking or running can cause agonising pain. But not with swimming, which is a low-impact workout. The buoyancy of the water supports your weight, which makes for a pain-free experience. The exercise can also help to rehabilitate injuries and joints.
Even pregnant women can safely go swimming. In fact, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, swimming is one of the safest forms of exercise during pregnancy.
3. A heart for swimming
Your heart will appreciate a good swim. As an aerobic exercise, swimming strengthens your heart and leads to a lower heart rate because the heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood around the body. This helps with blood circulation and also lowers your blood pressure.
The lungs benefit too. The rhythmic breathing practised in swimming may improve the strength of your respiratory muscles and train the body to use oxygen more efficiently, while holding your breath may help increase lung capacity.
4. Chill fest
If you’ve enjoyed splashing in the rain as a kid, or find it relaxing to soak in a jacuzzi, you’ve already discovered the therapeutic powers of water. Research shows that being in or around water can make you feel calmer and more meditative. This, combined with the feel-good factor that comes with doing any kind of exercise, means swimming has the ability to take you to the next level of relaxation.
Going for a swim is also a good chance to switch off and be alone with your thoughts, which can be liberating.
Being confident around water opens up a world of possibilities in the form of water sports such as kayaking.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
Make waves while bodyboarding and skimboarding at the Singapore Sports Hub’s Stingray®.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
5. Feel safe, stay safe
Knowing how to swim builds water confidence, which is important because panicking in water is a common cause of drowning. Having water confidence also takes away the stress of being around bodies of water such as lakes and beaches, and — here’s the fun bit — it opens up a world of possibilities when it comes to water-based activities such as canoeing, windsurfing, water skiing or even triathlons.
Singapore Sports Hub runs a range of aquatic fitness classes that will give you a great and enjoyable workout.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB
6. Aqua fitness classes FTW
And speaking of water-based activities, Singapore Sports Hub runs some seriously fun aqua fitness classes, such as Aqua Bike, which, like the name suggests, has you riding a stationary bike in the water that will get your heart pumping.
There’s also Aqua Tabata, a 45-minute High-Intensity Interval Training that involves doing short but intense bursts of exercise, perfect for burning calories. For the rhythmically inclined, try out the SAF Aqua Drums Vibes® Combo class in which you thrash the water with drumsticks for a core and upper body workout. Or if dancing is more your thing, go for Aqua Groove, a dance and aerobics class that will get you jiving to moves from hip-hop, samba and salsa.
Swimming classes
Can’t swim? That’s all right. Here are some swimming classes organised by the Singapore Sports Hub, which run the gamut from those for kids, such as water familiarisation classes for children, to group and private adult swimming classes. Do make waves.
