Something in the Water

• Posted on 25 March 2024
• By Whitney Morris-Reed
• 0

5 Reasons to Take the Plunge and Get Swimming for Adults

I swam competitively from age 9 to age 22 and then took a hiatus because I was tired. Tired of practicing 6 days a week, sometimes twice per day. I was tired of dry skin and straw hair and smelling like a saltine cracker (IYKYK). And I was just tired of being an athlete.

The inevitable happened, as you might expect, I never traded my dietary habits in my far less active lifestyle for more moderate ones. One day I woke up and realized that I needed to get out and do something or I was going to have to start buying new clothes far before my bank account was ready for it.

It still took me a few more years, several career changes and interstate moves to get back into swimming. When I landed back in the Rocket City at the end of 2020, once it made sense, I packed up my old swim bag, dragged my husband to the pool and taught him how to lap swim with me. There’s something about college athletes. We either continue our active lifestyles post-senior season, or we don’t. There is no in between.

But there’s also something about water.

It melts away stress and makes you feel better. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, I’m a firm believer that swimming can change our lives for the better, even burned-out swimmers who are coming back to the sport they used to love. So, here’s 5 reasons to take the plunge and get in the water, especially if you’re on the fence.

1. Low-impact. For those of us who feel the aches and pains of age, old injuries and life in general, having a way to exercise that protects your joints and body from injury (generally speaking) is a great way to get back in the swing of things.
2. Weight control. We live in a society that has become a lot more body positive in the last several years. We understand that people can be healthy at different weights and sizes, but swimming does help us to trim excess weight through consistent, low-impact, high-results exercise.
3. Stress relief. As I’ve said, there’s something about water that melts away stress and helps us to relax. I’ve done some of my best thinking in the pool and just after getting out after a workout. Maybe it’s the feeling of weightlessness, maybe it’s the fact that we can’t really hear underwater, maybe it’s that we can go to a place that’s very internal when we’re swimming laps. Maybe it’s all of it. Whatever it is, I know I feel lighter when I step out of the pool than I did when I jumped in.
4. Increases flexibility, stamina and lung capacity. The combination of low-impact exercise, high-results exercise and the feeling of weightlessness in the water gives swimming the advantage of utilizing three methods of exercise – aerobic, stretching and strengthening – which leads to increased capacity in all three of those areas. And those areas include flexibility, stamina and lung capacity. All of which better your quality of life.
5. Helps lower blood pressure. I’ve discovered, as I’ve gotten older and had children, that issues with blood pressure are far more common than I thought. I also have come to better understand the plethora of problems that lead to and stem from having high blood pressure. Lowering your blood pressure decreases your risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular problems. So it’s a no-brainer right? Since swimming helps to strengthen your heart and lungs and shrink your waistline, it’s a natural choice to combat high blood pressure and the issues that come with it.

The vast majority of our customers are current or former athletes, but there are plenty of people we meet who are looking for new or better ways to exercise. While we are a performance swimming and running store, we also strive to help these people choose the best products to help them on their journey. Because fitness is for everyone and every body.

What are some of the reasons you love swimming? Drop them in the comments below!