What is the exercise of swimming?

Many sports can exercise different parts of our body. For example, running can exercise leg muscles and relax the whole body, yoga can improve body shape, and we all know that there are different swimming postures. So, let me share with you which parts of our body can be exercised by different swimming postures? It allows us to exercise and improve our physical fitness at the same time, which kills two birds with one stone.

The focus of different swimming styles

Breaststroke – leg strength. The thigh movements in freestyle and backstroke are both whipping up and down, only in breaststroke is kicking and clamping. The former can make the legs longer, while the latter uses more of the thigh adductor muscles, so it is very effective in strengthening leg strength.

Butterfly stroke - chest and back strength. When doing the butterfly stroke, the arms paddle inwards, doing the shoulder adduction movement, which has a greater impact on the latissimus dorsi and higher requirements on the rectus abdominis, and has the best training effect.

Freestyle – arm strength. When swimming freestyle, the biceps and triceps in the upper arms use more force, which can effectively exercise the arm muscles. At the same time, it also has a certain effect on improving the strength of the deltoid muscles in the shoulders.

Backstroke - back strength. When doing backstroke, the latissimus dorsi muscles will exert more force, which can stretch the back muscles. In addition, when doing backstroke, you need to lift your hips and glide, which is also a kind of exercise for your buttocks.

Swimming improves the function of the cardiovascular system, which includes the heart, lungs, and blood vessels responsible for transporting inhaled oxygen to muscle cells. Overcoming the resistance of water when swimming requires more energy, which speeds up the heart rate and increases cardiac output. If you persist in long-term swimming exercises, the volume of the heart will increase, the myocardium will contract more powerfully, the resting heart rate will slow down, the stroke volume will increase, the blood vessel walls will thicken and become more elastic, and the efficiency of the cardiovascular system will be improved.

In addition, the human body is in a supine position when swimming, and the pressure of water on the skin creates a massage effect. Therefore, it is easier for blood from the limbs, especially the lower limbs, to flow back to the heart than when standing upright on land. Moreover, the resistance of water makes it difficult for muscles to exert explosive force like on land. These characteristics are very suitable for middle-aged and elderly people to exercise, as they can not only enhance their physical fitness, but also reduce the risk of accidents due to overly intense exercise.

In our country, useful exercise is a common form of exercise. There are some swimming methods that give us different enjoyment while we are learning them. Some men practice swimming for fitness, and some women practice swimming to lose weight. Therefore, swimming is very important for our lives. We can also practice lung capacity when we swim. It has many benefits. The editor hopes that everyone can actively learn swimming and will be healthier.