The Benefits of Swimming

Once the temperatures rise and the heat waves set in, we find ourselves looking for ways to cool down and enjoy the short summer season. One of the first things that comes to mind, is swimming.

Swimming is one of the most popular sports in Canada. As well as being fun, swimming is a great way to keep fit and stay healthy. Swimming is an activity that you can pursue over your lifetime and has many physical and mental health benefits.

Swimming for recreation

Swimming is a great low-impact activity for people of all ages. Recreational swimming can provide you with a workout and it’s also a good way to relax and feel good. Common styles in recreational swimming are breaststroke, backstroke, side stroke and freestyle.

Competitive swimming

Some people who enjoy swimming want to take it to the next level. This can provide the health benefits of a vigorous workout as well as the thrill of competition. The main strokes used in competitive swimming are breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. The distances in competition swimming can vary from 50 metres in a pool to much further distances in open water. It is a sport that is also incorporated into triathlons.

Health benefits of swimming

Swimming is a great workout because you need to move your whole body against the resistance of the water.

Swimming is a good all-round activity because it:

  • keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off your body
  • builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
  • helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
  • tones muscles and builds strength
  • provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are used during swimming.
  • providing good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions

Whether you choose to swim indoor or out, competitive or just for fun, knowing how to swim is incredibly important for safety reasons. With the City of Ottawa being surrounded by water, it is a great knowledge to have. If you are interested in learning more about the sport and where you can learn and enjoy, visit our resources page.