Benefits of Sea swimming
Swimming in the ocean is a beloved pastime enjoyed by people of all ages, but did you know there are many benefits to swimming? Both physical and mental benefits.
Physical health benefits
As well as being fun, swimming is a brilliant workout as it moves your entire body. Swimming uses many muscles that puts it apart from most other sports. Some of the main muscles targeted include:
Shoulders
Abs
Back
Legs
Arms
As well as targeting these muscle groups, swimming is a brilliant cardiovascular workout, as you move through the water, the lungs and heart work harder, because of this, stamina and lung capacity increases.
It is a low impact activity so it is great for those with old or new injuries to help build up the muscle without putting too much impact on the area.
Help reduce symptoms
The sea itself is rich in minerals like magnesium, so is great for those with eczema and psoriasis. Magnesium lowers cortisol which has been shown to reduce stress induced skin issues by calming the nervous system.
Salt water is also great at clearing out nasal passages so those suffering with sinus issues feel the benefits. The salt water opens up the nasal area and helps the cilla (hair like structure) move mucus and washes out thick or old mucus.
Mental health benefits
As well as physical benefits, there are mental health benefits of sea swimming. It is known to decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression, this is through focusing on breathing and calming meditation and can help you slow down and reduce stress.
Cold water like the Irish sea or Atlantic ocean can give us a jolt of adrenaline which can change focus from physical ailments and this diversion can give relief for some types of pain.
Swimming also promotes good sleep which is vital for our mental health.
Caution is advised
Although there are many benefits, swimming in the sea can be dangerous if you don’t take caution. A few tips include:
Don’t swim alone
Start small and gradually increase
Swim parallel to the shore and stay within your debt
Don’t dive in case of unseen hazards like rocks
Get dressed quickly when out of the water
Bring warm dry layers
If it wet gear, take it off quickly when out of the water
Gradually increase your time
Don’t take risks
Only swim in waters that are dedicated for swimming
Water safety Ireland has great resources online about staying safe in the sea and offers water safety courses.
If you suffer with any heart problems, please talk with your doctor before starting to sea swim.
If you have suffered a swimming related injury or would like to get more out of your swimming training, contact us here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic. Our physiotherapists are trained in treating a wide range of sports related injuries and offer biomechanical assessments to assess your training concerns.
Physiotherapy
We specialise in the treatment and prevention of injuries and conditions. If you are suffering with any health aliments that you feel we could help you with, get in touch today. We provide treatment for a wide age range from 9 years to 90 years old.