Missy Franklin urges govts to invest in swimming: The health benefits and the routine you should follow

Swimming as an exercise has always been recommended, mainly for being a fitness form that is low-impact and doesn't lead to much wear and tear of the joints and muscles. A modest 30-minutes stretch in the pool, three days a week is good if you can't work your schedule around it every day. The best part is that it is great for people of all ages, not as demanding as HIIT (high-intensity interval training) and has mental health benefits too. 

That's why we think it's a shame when people don't explore it as much as they should. Recently, five-time Olympic gold medallist Missy Franklin urged governments worldwide to invest in swimming to yield better results at the Olympics. As quoted by ANI, she said, "I think all governments should invest in swimming. Swimming is the only sport that will save your life and it is the only sport you can do for the rest of your life. All governments should recognise the importance of this sport." She spoke in its favour from the standpoint of training more people so that they can be a part of Olympics but it holds true for holisitc growth as well.

Here are a few benefits which might give you the much-needed push to get into the pool:

Burns calories and reduces ageing: Did you know that 10-minutes of breast stroke can help you burn 60 calories, 80 calories with the backstroke, 100 calories with freestyle, and an impressive 150 with the butterfly stroke? For perspective, a 10-minutes run might burn 100 calories while yoga might burn 183 calories per hour, and an elliptical trainer might burn 365 calories. Therefore, a good swim is always recommended if you want to burn calories quickly. Look at Missy Franklin's physique if you need proof, or any other swimmer for that matter. However, you will have to alter your eating habits too if you want to see results. No junk, no fried and less sugar intake is what you should aim for. 

Swimming also helps to reverse the signs of ageing. A study by Indiana University Bloomington's Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming found that by regularly swimming 3,200 to 6,400 meters, three to five times a week, an individual can delay ageing not only by years but by decades. They found that many of the swimmers delayed this natural decline until the age of 70.

Alleviates stress, hypertension and boosts mood: Swimming elicits significant reductions in arterial blood pressure at rest in individuals with hypertension. This is an important finding published in the Journal of Hypertension, since swimming can be a highly useful alternative to land-based exercises for hypertensive patients with obesity, exercise-induced asthma, or orthopedic injuries.  It also promotes general well-being in individuals. The deep rhythmic breathing and constant body stretches, can be calming and meditative. Moreover, the sound of water can be really soothing and thereby help in lowering stress and depression. Research also shows that swimming can reverse damage to the brain from stress through a process called hippocampal neurogenesis. So the next time you are stressed or sad, jumping into a pool can actually help. 

Improves lung function and keeps heart rate up: Recent studies in The International Journal of Contemporary Medical Research states that regular swimming practice gives a positive effect on the lungs by increasing the pulmonary capacity and thus, improving the lung functions even after short training sessions. Several physiological changes take place in the human body, when a person swims as it involves almost all the muscle groups. The water pressure on the chest wall makes the respiration more energy consuming. Since it also involves keeping the head extended, which is a constant exercise of the erector spinae muscles and supra spinatus, it increases the antero-posterior diameter of the lungs. Besides this, the sternocleidomastoid, trapezius and the diaphragm are being constantly exercised.

According to The National Center for Biotechnology Information, immersion in warm water also induces improvement in cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure. The study where 13 CHF (chronic heart failure) patients and 13 healthy subjects underwent echocardiography on land and in a temperature-controlled swimming pool (33-34 degrees C), found that "a general increase in early diastolic filling was accompanied by a decrease in heart rate, leading to an increase in stroke volume and ejection fraction in most patients with CHF during warm water immersion.'' Compared to inactive people, swimmers have about half the risk of death.

Works as a balm to people with osteoarthritis: Since you are submerged in water, your bones and muscles are somewhat free from the constraints of gravity. According to a study by Hirofumi Tanaka, a professor of kinesiology and director of the Cardiovascular Aging Research Lab at the University of Texas, published in The American Journal of Cardiology, 48 middle-aged and older patients with osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to swimming or cycling training groups. Cycling training was included as a non–weight-bearing land-based comparison group. After 12 weeks of supervised exercise training, central arterial stiffness, as determined by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and carotid artery stiffness, through simultaneous ultrasound and applanation tonometry, decreased significantly after both swimming and cycling training. Vascular endothelial function, as determined by brachial flow-mediated dilation, increased significantly after swimming but not after cycling training. Both swimming and cycling interventions reduced interleukin-6 levels, whereas no changes were observed in other inflammatory markers. In conclusion, these results indicate that regular swimming exercise can exert similar or even superior effects on vascular function and inflammatory markers compared with land-based cycling exercise in patients with osteoarthritis who often has an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Improves sleep: It is not a secret that swimming has the power to help you sleep better at night. Since it involves all the core muscle groups in your body it can be really tiring. It is also good for older adults with insomnia. All this while having toned legs and arms, a taut stomach, and a shapely back. We say it's a win-win for all. 

How to go about it: Ideally, you should swim 1000 meters and alternate between styles and laps. For example, you can do a warmup of 2 laps (100 meters), one easy and the other one fast and then rest. It should be followed by 100 meters of kick, one lap each of backstroke, freestyle, breaststroke and freestyle again. Rest after this and once you catch your breath, swim down another 100 meters. Please note that this is the basic routine which you should follow if you want results. You can alter it according to your stamina. Always be mindful and listen to your body while swimming and remember to stretch your muscles before getting into the pool. Hydrate after your sessions. 

Swimwear according to body shape: While most men don't care about swimwear, women do care - a lot! But in the spirit of inclusiveness, today we are going to look at swimwear everybody can benefit from. 

Women: If you have a big tummy then go for full coverage with a monokini. Just make sure that the sides are high-cut so that it takes away all the attention from the tummy. For ones who have a boyish figure, halters, ruchings and retro-inspired swimwears look best. Apple shaped bodies can opt for anything as they are blessed with proportionate shoulders and waist but they look best in high-cut bottoms. If you have a big bust, then always go up a cup size in bustier style or deep V-neck. Remember coverage is key. Athletic builds should pick bright prints, playful patterns and flirty frills. Pear shaped women should experiment with ruffles and patterns to emphasize the top. If you are too shy to wear any of the above then go for a short kaftan in bright prints. 

Men: If you are big guy then go for solid colours to streamline your silhouette. The same rule applies to prints - just keep it subtle and avoid slim fits. If you have an athletic body then consider yourself blessed. Go for short lengths and experiment with funky colours and patterns. If you are slim and under 5'7", then go for busy prints or horizontal stripes to give the impression of long legs.