3/27/23, 8:14 PM Swimming: Types, Benefits, Importance, and Research

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Swimming: types, benefits,

importance and research
Author: Divina Gulayan (https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/author/divina/) | Published on: February 20, 2023 | Last updated: February 20, 2023

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3/27/23, 8:14 PM Swimming: Types, Benefits, Importance, and Research

Swimming is one of the activities that people of all ages enjoy. Apart from being a popular sport in many countries, it is also a
great way to bond with families and friends during summer. Swimming is not only enjoyable, but it can help you to stay fit and
healthy!

Since it is a low-impact activity, many older adults and young children prefer this type of exercise to promote both physical and
mental health.

Types of Swimming
Swimming for competition
Competitive swimming (https://longevity.technology/lifestyle/the-fitness-secret-that-keeps-a-10-time-olympic-gold-medalist-
energised-all-day/) is for people who want to take this sport to a competitive level. During the Olympics, swimming remains one
of the marquee events, with many people watching the games and rooting for their favourite swimmer.

Competitive swimming requires numerous hours of training over prolonged periods. Olympians start very young and spend most
of their time training for specific swimming events. As elite athletes, Olympian swimmers show the power and benefits of this
sport. These swimmers demonstrate how swimming is a vigorous workout while introducing fans to the thrill of competitive
sports.

During competitive swimming, the main strokes used are:

Butterfly stroke – Called a short-axis stroke, the power of this stroke comes from the hips. The arms are stretched in front of
the athlete and pulled down to the highs before coming out of the water and back again in their outstretched position. Dolphin
kicks support the simultaneous arm motion. The head of the athlete is lifted above the water for a breath while the arms are
midway pulled towards the thighs.

Freestyle – Among the four strokes, freestyle is recognized as the fastest stroke. This type of stroke is used for sprint races
such as the 50-yard or 100, 200, 500 yard and distance races such as the 1000 and 1650-yard swims. Freestyle is also used
for relay events with four consecutive swimmers at distances of 200, 400 or 800 yards.

Breaststroke – Like butterfly stroke, this is also called a short-axis stroke. This is the oldest of the four strokes, with athletes
competing in 100 to 200-yard distances. During the breaststroke, a swimmer moves both arms simultaneously in a wide pull.
This pull is combined with a kick that resembles a frog’s motion. During every stroke, a swimmer takes a breath. The stroke
consists of pulling, breathing, kicking, and gliding. The legs and arms of the swimmers are fully extended during the glide for
efficient motion.

Backstroke – This stroke is similar to the freestyle stroke with rotating arm motions and a flutter kick. There is side-to-side
rotation for efficient movement, which is similar to freestyle. During each arm rotation, the swimmer also rotates their
opposite shoulder out of the water while the other arm pulls down to the thigh of the swimmer. This stroke is raced at 100 and
200-yard distances.

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3/27/23, 8:14 PM Swimming: Types, Benefits, Importance, and Research

Recreation swimming
All people of all ages can enjoy swimming as a recreation. This type of swimming provides people with a low-impact workout.
Further, it is also an excellent way to feel good and relax with friends and family.

Similar to competitive swimming, there are also four common swimming styles:

Sidestroke

Backstroke
Breaststroke

Freestyle

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3/27/23, 8:14 PM Swimming: Types, Benefits, Importance, and Research

Swimming and its health benefits

Swimming is an essential full-body exercise workout as you swim against the resistance of the water.

Cardiovascular fitness
Any type of exercise is better than no exercise at all. One of the most common forms of exercise is walking, which is feasible for
many people as it is a low-impact activity and can be done anytime indoors or outdoors. Running is another common exercise
since it is an extension of walking. Next to these two exercises is swimming. Considered an all-body workout, swimming also
dramatically improves cardiovascular fitness.

In a study published in the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education [1 (https://ndpa.org/directory-
drowning_lit/listing/swimming-and-all-cause-mortality-risk-compared-with-running-walking-and-sedentary-habits-in-men/)],
investigators examined the association between swimming, running, and walking on all-cause mortality of 40 547 men aged 20
to 90. All the participants completed a health examination from 1971 to 2003 for 32 years. The investigators observed 543,330
person-years and recorded 3 386 deaths. After adjusting for body-mass index, age, alcohol intake, smoking, and family history of
cardiovascular disease, the researchers found out that the swimmers had the lowest all-cause mortality risk compared with
walkers, runners or those with a sedentary lifestyle.

Results showed that swimmers had 53% lower all-cause mortality risk than sedentary people. When compared with walkers or
runners, swimmers had a 50% and 49% lower risk of all-cause mortality, respectively. The investigators, who are faculty
members of the Exercise Science Department of the University of South Carolina, Columbia, concluded that swimmers had
lower mortality rates than sedentary people, runners and walkers. After the longitudinal study, all participants were followed-up
for an additional 13 years. At the end of the follow-up period, only 2% of the swimmers died compared with 8% of runners.
Meanwhile, 9% of the walkers and 11% of non-exercisers died during the follow-up period.

Swimming is a crucial all-over workout since it works both the lungs and the heart. This workout trains the body to use oxygen
more efficiently. As a result, the breathing and resting heart rates reduce following years of a swimming workout. For instance,
the resting heart rate for non-athletes is 60-70 beats per minute. In contrast, swimmers have a resting heart rate of 40-60 beats
per minute, demonstrating oxygen efficiency. Non-athletes have a normal breathing rate of 12-20 breaths per minute. However,
the fitter you are, the lower your breathing rate. For competitive swimmers, the breath rate may be as low as eight breaths/per
minute.

Swimming improves muscle strength and flexibility.

Since swimming uses both arms and legs and other muscle groups, it improves flexibility and muscle strength.

Regular swimming can improve physical strength and composition in middle-aged women and reduce blood lipid levels. A study
[2 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4625655/)] published in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation recruited a
total of 24 middle-aged women who were assigned to the swimming group and a control group. The average age in the
swimming group was 45.5 years, and 47.2 in the control group. There were no significant differences in each group’s height,
weight and BMI.

Women in the swimming group performed exercises for 60 minutes thrice a week for a total of 180 minutes. The exercise
sessions lasted for 12 weeks. The control group did not engage in any exercise during the duration of the study.

Results indicated significant differences in physical composition between the swimming and control groups at the end of the
study. There were also substantial differences in physical strength, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility between groups.
There were significant differences in total cholesterol between the groups.

Although the study had a relatively small sample size, the findings are significant since it adds to evidence of the effectiveness
of swimming in reducing body fats, increasing a person’s physical strength and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disorders.

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3/27/23, 8:14 PM Swimming: Types, Benefits, Importance, and Research

Results are also essential when promoting longevity among middle-aged women. This study showed that swimming is an
excellent exercise in improving strength and flexibility, reducing body fats and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in
older women. Since swimming minimizes the stress in joints, it would help middle-aged women with pain in their knee joints
engage in exercise that does not negatively impact their joints.

Reduction of osteoarthritis pain

People with osteoarthritis and associated joint pain would find it difficult to perform exercises such as walking and running.
However, the good news is they can exercise through swimming. Swimming is known to be an ideal form of exercise for patients
with joint pain and arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and a significant cause of pain and physical disability. The knee is
recognized as the most commonly affected joint. Risk factors associated with knee osteoarthritis include increased age and
body-mass index, female gender, prior ACL tears, prior history of trauma, and meniscal damage or surgery [3
(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18759314/)].

A randomized trial [4 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26773104/)] published in the Journal of Rheumatology enrolled a total of

48 middle-aged and older adults who did not engage in any exercise. All participants were diagnosed with osteoarthritis. The
participants were randomly assigned to a cycling exercise training and swimming group. Exercise training was performed three
times a week, 45 minutes per day, at 60-70% heart rate reserve for three months or 12 weeks.

Results of the study showed significant reductions in stiffness and pain in the joints and physical limitation in both groups.
Further, all also reported significantly increased quality of life. Both groups also increased their functional capacity and distance
covered during the six-minute walk. There were no significant differences in the magnitude of improvements between cycling
and swimming training.

It should be noted that the most frequently prescribed exercise for those with osteoarthritis is cycling training. However, joint
pain and stiffness due to osteoarthritis can be reduced while functional capacity and muscle strength improve with swimming
exercise programs. Since swimming is a low-impact activity, it is ideal for middle-aged to older adults with osteoarthritis.

Meanwhile, a retrospective longitudinal study [5 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7166141/)] published in the

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation journal evaluated the relationship between knee pain, symptomatic knee osteoarthritis,
radiographic knee osteoarthritis and history of swimming. Investigators included a total of 2,637 participants who have a mean
age of 64.3 years. The participants’ mean BMI was 28.4 kg/m2. There were 44.2% males and 55.8% females.

The study’s findings revealed that the prevalence of frequent knee pain was 36.4% for those with a history of swimming
compared with 39.9% for those with no history of swimming. Only 54.3% in the swimming group had radiographic knee
osteoarthritis compared with 61.1% in the non-swimming group. Symptomatic knee osteoarthritis prevalence was also lower in
the swimming group (21.9%) compared with the non-swimming group (27.0%).

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