The benefits of switching up your workout this summer

With summer rolling in we can expect beautiful sunny days and sweltering heat waves. With the rising temperature and beating sun, working out can become a lot harder and often shorter, due to the unbearable weather.

Stick to your fitness routine and don’t miss a workout by trading in your exercise in the harsh sun for a refreshing swim in one of our pools!

Wether you are looking to change up your workout or an alternative for running as the weather heats up, swimming for fitness offers many benefits. Below we have listed our top seven benefits of making the switch this summer:

1. Less strain on joints and injuries – Swimming is low-impact on joints as the water buoyancy supports most of your weight and significantly decreases the amount of weight bearing on joints. It is also one of the best exercises for individuals suffering with arthritis and is a great exercise for those who are recovering from injuries and wanting to remain active.

2. Gets your whole body working – Unlike other cardio exercises, swimming not only works out your lower body through kicking, but also engages your upper body (triceps and lower-back) and core muscles that may not get worked often during exercises such as running.

3. Your cardiovascular system is working overtime – Your cardiovascular system is responsible for circulating blood and transporting nutrients throughout the body. Swimming benefits the cardiovascular system as it can help lower blood pressure and increase lung capacity. It also teaches your body to utilize oxygen more effectively, translating to a reduction of the resting heart rate.

4. Destresser – Whatever stresses life is throwing at you, the pool can be a safe haven where it’s just you, your strokes and breathing techniques. Not only does swimming release endorphins through exercise, the pool is also a ‘Zen’ zone, as dissimilar to other exercises, in the pool there are no obstacles to battle or a constant need for alertness.

5. Improves flexibility – Although it won’t instantly turn you into the flexible gymnast you dream of, the different strokes involved in swimming and need to consistently work your ankles improves flexibility as you repetitively stretch various muscle groups.
Extra tip: If you want to further accelerate your ankle flexibility try adding flippers to your swimming workout next time. Flippers add resistance to your kicking motions which helps to improve ankle flexibility. 

6. Cheap and accessible – Wether you have your own pool at home or live near the ocean, swimming is an exercise that doesn’t require any expensive or fancy equipment. All you require to go for a swim is a pool, yourself and your bathers. Even if you don’t live in close proximity to the beach or own your own pool, swim access at public pools is highly inexpensive.

7. Opportunity to cool down - With the weeks slowly getting hotter, sometimes the idea of going outside and getting extremely hot and sweaty is unbearable. This is where going for a swim to smash out your daily exercise can be rewarding. Not only are you working out, but you are giving yourself the opportunity to cool down and get away from the heat. 

So if you are looking to switch up your workout routine this summer, take some time out of the beating sun or just searching for a way to unwind, why not take up casual swimming. You’ll get that much needed ‘me’ time and relax whilst reaping the countless health benefits of swimming.

At HBF Stadium, we offer the perfect facilities to trade in your running shoes for swimming this summer, with three 50m lane pools (indoor and outdoor) and lane availabilities updated weekly. To find out more about our pool opening times, prices, lane availability and the best swimming Claremont has to offer click here.