Is swimming a strenuous exercise?

Swimming is considered an intense sport because when a person is active, the whole body will exert strength, and when the heart is active, the reaction speed of the heart will increase significantly, and the heart rate will also increase accordingly. If you have poor heart function, you generally cannot go swimming. When people swim, they consume calories equivalent to 100 kilocalories in one minute. From the calorie consumption alone, it can be seen that this activity is quite intense.

When practicing swimming, the metabolic process and the economy of the cardiovascular system both require a large amount of oxygen supply. However, because the water presses on the chest and abdomen, it increases the difficulty of breathing. Someone has done special experiments and found that when swimming, the human chest is subjected to a pressure of 12-15kg of water. Therefore, in order for the body to obtain enough oxygen, the respiratory muscles must constantly overcome this pressure.

In addition, exhalation when swimming is generally done underwater, and the density of water is much greater than that of air. Therefore, if you want to exhale, you must exert force. This way, whether inhaling or exhaling can increase the contraction force of the respiratory muscles, thereby enhancing the function of the respiratory system and increasing lung capacity.

The average lung capacity of a healthy man is 3000-4000 ml, while that of regular swimmers can reach 5000-6000 ml.

During swimming, due to the stimulation of water temperature, the body maintains a sufficient temperature. Skin blood vessels are involved in an important regulatory role. The stimulation of cold water can cause skin blood vessels to contract to prevent heat from spreading out of the body. At the same time, the body steps up to produce heat, dilates the blood vessels in the skin, and improves the blood supply to the skin. Long-term exercise can enhance the blood circulation of the skin.

There are many types of swimming, such as backstroke, butterfly stroke, breaststroke and so on. Swimming in all postures consumes a lot of energy from the body. In addition, swimming also involves many dangers. For example, a person's legs may easily cramp when swimming. Another example is that swimming can easily cause water to enter the ears and increase the possibility of otitis media. If the waves accidentally hit the ears while swimming, it may easily cause perforation of the eardrum.