Readers Respond: Ways That Swimming Has Been Good for You

Responses: 99

From Mat Luebbers, former About.com Guide

I started swimming 2 months ago. I forgot how relaxing it is. I have also noticed my clothing feeling looser and receiving compliments from my co-workers that I'm looking leaner. I continue to walk, but I truly look forward to swimming at least 4 times a week for 45 to 60 minutes and thank God inches are finally melting away.
—Guest Pat

If I give the workouts I got to do them myself. I found that as I do the workouts, I am modifying them to benefit each individual. Every swimmer has a favorite stroke, but every swimmer should be able to swim each stroke with ease, flexability and fun. Swimming tones me builds my endurance, bicycling helps my weight and strength, weights builds my strengths where swimming cannot. Plus, swimming gets rid of the double chin for most of us older folks...smile
—Guest Linda

I have recentlly began swimming and wondered if I really wont loose weight swimming I have read a couple of articles that said you wont loose any weight doing it is this true???
—Guest Corkboard

I was in so much pain about 6 weeks ago in the 4th month of my 8th pregnancy. When the pool opened for the summer I began to swim for 15 minutes 2 or 3 times a day during the adult swim. I have gone from barely being able to swim 12 laps to swimming 20 laps most of those 15 minute breaks. I feel so incredibly fabulous! My arms feel so strong and are much more defined, and my round ligament pain only bothers me very occasionally, as opposed to the chronic pain which it had been. Being in the pool and working toward a personal goal has also just really helped ease my stress level and helped me to feel great about my once again pregnant body!
—Guest Shannon

swimming will does all your needs to stay in healthy life, learn to swimming before you enter to the open water and never swim alone. -Rescuer and Deep sea Diver
—Guest Palitha Ariyarathna

Hello, I'm a teenage active young lady and I swim everyday which has toned my core and made me healthier than ever! It keeps me moving and having fun at the same time. It builds my lung capacity for band as well!
—Guest Swimpro

I am 40 and have recently started learning swimming. Its a great fun. I had a real fear of water, but now it is almost gone. I feed very relaxed and rejuvinated after swimming. I plan to learn as much as I can as this is the saying of Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) as swimming is one of the best exercizes.
—Guest Ibrahim Mustafa

I swim because I love it but I have asthma, emphysema and COPD and I swim every other day for thirty to 45 minutes; sometimes an hour. I would not be breathing if I did not swim. I am 73 1/2 years old and I find that any depression I have disappears when I swim and my mood is lifted. There is freedom in the water.
—Guest Carol

I am 55 years old, and I started swimming 3 and 1/2 months ago. I had not been in a pool for over 20 years, so I was glad I remembered how to swim. My initial goal was to swim for 1/2 hour twice a week. I swam 1 lap, counted 2 minutes on the clock and swam again. Gradually, I increased my time and days per week. Now, I swim 5 days per week for 35 minutes steadily. I have been surprised at how quickly I was able to get back into swimming and enjoy it. When I hit menopause, my blood pressure started skyrocketing. At its highest, it was 168/89. After 3 and 1/2 months of swimming, my blood pressure is now 134/76. I have also lost 10 pounds without really trying, so now I know that I can concentrate on better diet and lose weight steadily.
—Guest SuzyQ

I have begun swimming just the past 3 weeks in the school pool. My incentive was being chronically tired, 35# overweight and mentally foggy. I now am feeling mentally and physically better than in a long time, in class more alert, sleep longer and better. By the way, I turned 50 4 months ago and decided to change my ways. Weight loss is not happening, but my overall body is leaner. I signed up on this site to find workout info., and others that are interested in water fun!!
—Guest al b

When I was 40 the Dr. found I had dangerously high cholesterol. I chose to swim because it was free where I worked at a recreation centre. At first I had to force myself to get into the pool I had to stop 2 or 3 times before I could even complete ONE length! After much determination and persistance, my breathing, rhythym and strength improved. I forced myself to be disciplined like never before. I lost about 30 pounds and went down 2 dress sizes, too! I swam for about 5 years then got a rotator cuff and got lazy and gradually gave it up. That was 15 years ago. A few months ago I made a decision to get back to swimming again. In order to get a good start I decided to swim for a cause. Our church is helping to build an orphanage in India, so I decided to collect pledges for each kilometer I swam. My goal is 60 kilometers. (About 35 miles.) I have completed 40 so far. All my pledges total $1,000.00. As I swim now, I thank God for all those who contribute and pray for the orphans.
—Guest Maulena Konala

It's very satisfying to go to the pool with a challenging workout plan and to achieve it, especially when I don't want to be there. It's a strange dichotomy; to love what swimming accomplishes, but to dislike the process of starting. The first 4 to 8 laps are horrendous, the last twenty are divine. So swimming for me is a good tool both for training my body and my mind to behave according to my will and not my wim.
—Guest Cal

Swimming for me is more like and over all mind, heart, body and soul exercise. granted that it is exercise and you have to make yourself get into the groove once you are in it there is no looking back. It strengthens your heart, relaxes and puts your mind at ease, increases your endurance and strength physically but when I am there it also is my time to be with the one who made it all possible. For me it is a choice to go and exercise but what motivates me to get there is that it becomes my personal time to reflect or meditate on what it is that bothers me. It gives me the time to properly organize my thoughts and and then after all that You hit the zone and it becomes so peaceful that you can acutually get away with thinking of nothing other than how blessed you feel just to have the ability to bet there. All of that while losing inches and fat!? Why wouldn't you? :)
—Guest Chrissy

Swimming is one of the best sport I could say, when i was young i usally have asthma attacks every month so my mom decided to send me to a swim school so that I can learn how to swim and after that time on I seldom have my asthma attacks because of swimming. Swimming also made me healthier and because of that I also enjoy scholarship benefits in my school for being a varsity in swimming.
—czarinarosemarie

Also from About.com: