Swimming Works the Muscles and Helps Older Adults Improve Their Fitness

Swimming is one of the most effective and enjoyable forms of fitness that can help older adults stay fit. The water supports your body, so it’s easier on your joints than other exercises like running or biking. Plus, you get to work all sorts of muscles in aerobic and non-aerobic activity — from the ones you use to push off the walls to those required to keep yourself afloat.

And let’s face it, swimming is more fun, too. So, if you’re an older adult looking for a way to boost your fitness, why not take the plunge? Let’s dive into why swimming works so well as an exercise program for seniors.

When most people think of exercise, their mind goes to long runs on the treadmill or picking up heavy weights. Although these are great forms of exercise, not everyone is able to perform them. For those who are looking to stay fit but can’t stand the gym, it may be time to start swimming.

Swimming is an excellent alternative to normal workout routines, and it comes with a list of benefits that rival intense gym exercises.

Improve Cardiovascular Fitness

Swimming is a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness while lowering cardiovascular disease risk. According to recent research, swimming just a few times a week has been linked with a range of heart health benefits and may even reduce your risk of death from any cause. It has also been shown to improve cardiovascular health in people diagnosed with conditions such as stiff arteries and cardiovascular disease.

What’s more, swimming can be an incredibly relaxing exercise, providing tremendous psychological benefits while offering full-body conditioning, which puts far less stress on bones and joints than other high-impact aerobic activities like running. For all these reasons, swimming is considered one of the best exercise forms to boost overall health.

Build Strength

Swimming is truly an all-encompassing form of exercise that can help to improve strength in ways we don’t normally consider. Since swimming is done in a liquid environment, the denser water, compared to air, provides extra resistance and puts more strain on our muscles when swimming.

This produces better results while swimming than completing a similar workout in the air, as it can engage more muscle fibers and build strength in larger muscle groups and smaller stabilizer muscles. It is an excellent exercise for older adults in rehabilitation to increase hip muscle strength which can lower their fall risk.

Research has also shown that regular swimmers have greater respiratory muscle strength compared to those who prefer cycling or running. Respiratory muscle strength is the pressure the breathing muscles can generate when breathing in or out.

Reduce Impact On Joints

Swimming is a fantastic exercise for those looking to reduce weight-bearing stress and the impact on joints that regular running or cycling can cause. Compared to land-based activities, swimming has far less compression on joints; whether it be swimming slow or fast, it’s still an excellent way to get in a workout without the fear of joint damage due to excess strain from competing activities.

Overall, swimming is an ideal exercise for general health in older adults, as it offers an array of important benefits. It is a low-impact activity that minimizes stress on bones and joints while providing an excellent cardiovascular workout.

Additionally, swimming engages muscles such as the arms, legs, stomach and back, maximizing calorie burning and promoting toning. As swimming can be done in water of varying temperatures, seniors with medical conditions can find a comfortable swimming environment that suits their needs. As an added bonus, it has been shown to help with mental health and reduce signs of depression.

Maintaining Muscle Health

Muscle loss can begin at a relatively young age and will only continue with time, so it is important to take steps to help maintain muscle mass. Swimming is an excellent solution for helping to maintain muscle strength, but having the right vitamins and nutrients is also vital in keeping muscle strength and mass. That is where Clinical Strength Muscle Support comes in.
With a unique formula that includes Tongkat ali extract LJ100®, Clinical Strength Muscle Support is designed to help support aging muscles, so you can maintain your active and healthy lifestyle for years to come.

Joint and Bone Health

As you age, your joints may require support to help them stay strong, flexible, and healthy. Healthy Joints contains multiple ingredients to help support and improve joint health. The primary ingredient in Health Joints is AprèsFlex®, an extract from Boswellia, which has been found in studies to provide rapid support for joint health and mobility. This unique formula also contains glucosamine and chondroitin, which contain compounds that are some of the building blocks of healthy joints.

Along with exercise, the body also needs proper vitamins and nutrients to stay healthy and active. To help ensure your diet is complete, 65+ Superfood Essentials is an excellent addition to a daily supplement regime.

This breakthrough formula is a great way to support and promote cardiovascular and overall health. It contains Capros®, a patented and clinically studied Indian gooseberry extract that has been found to absorb free radicals and provide cascading antioxidants. Acai berry (the powerful natural antioxidant known to support total health) and resveratrol, a premier anti-aging ingredient, are also found in this formulation that can help ensure proper nutrients and vitamins that are essential as you age.