How Swimming Can Help Achieve Your New Year’s Goals
Have you considered that having your own pool is one of the easiest ways to keep up with your New Year’s goals? As we are looking ahead in 2023, many people are prioritizing their resolutions on fitness and health. While there is always an option to go to the gym or join a CrossFit group, consider the benefits of working on your fitness goals at home.
Not only does swimming feel good, but it also helps you lose weight by burning calories and improving muscle tone. Swimming is a full-body workout that can be an important part of your weight loss efforts this year. Adding this exercise habit into your regular routine is a great way to ensure that you are staying on track for your New Year’s goals.
Health Benefits of Swimming
If you are considering a backyard swimming pool installation, then you’re likely thinking about all of the fun parties and family gatherings you can host in the yard. This private pool is a great place to bring people together and strengthen relationships with the people that you love.
At the same time, a swimming pool can be an excellent upgrade for your home because of all of the health benefits you can enjoy from swimming. Here are a few ways that your health will be affected when you are swimming consistently:
Muscle Strengthening
When you are swimming, you are moving your arms and legs while also engaging your core. The more these muscles are engaged and working, the stronger you will become. As the body is pushing against the water, the resistance helps to build muscles.
These resistance exercises not only strengthen your muscles, but you will also notice improvements in appearance as well as muscle tone. Swimming is a full-body, resistance workout.
Low-Impact Exercise
People with joint issues and other physical pain find it hard to exercise, especially when motions such as running can impact the joints. One solution is to choose a low-impact exercise activity, such as swimming.
As you are moving through the water, you aren’t fighting against gravity. As a result, swimming is great way to stay active without the pounding on the joints that often happens in other exercises and activities.
Fat Loss and Calorie Burning
Depending on the type of swimming you are doing and the intensity of your workout, it’s possible to burn between 100 – 550 calories during your swimming session. The higher intensity your movements, the more calories you will burn.
Boosting calorie burn is an important step to help you reach your New Year’s goals. Not only will you notice a difference in fat loss and body composition, but you will also be supporting a healthy metabolism at the same time.
If you are a beginning swimmer, then keep in mind that it’s best to start slow and then build up your intensity. Swimming can be hard work, and you don’t want to tire yourself out too quickly. It takes time to build up your endurance.
More Confidence About Your Appearance
Burning calories and improving muscle tone has an undeniable impact on your overall appearance. One reason why people choose swimming as part of their New Year’s goals is because they want to build a leaner figure.
Swimming is an excellent solution to work the entire body, without the need to throw around weights or spend hours in a gym. It’s a win-win situation: you feel good while you are swimming, and these consistent workouts help you look better in a swimsuit.
Heart Health
Regular cardiovascular exercise is essential for heart health. Many people think about cardio and they automatically assume that jogging or running is the answer. But swimming can be a great alternative to get your heart rate up and support your overall health at the same time.
When you are swimming, it helps your lungs and heart get a workout at the same time. As you are supporting these organs, it helps to move oxygen to your muscles. Cardio exercises, such as swimming, can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more.
Mental Health
Not only are there numerous physical health benefits that come from swimming, but many people also notice an improvement in their mental health when they are exercising regularly. Swimming is a physical movement that can help with stress management and overall mood improvement.
Plus, if you have an outdoor pool, then it means that you are also getting a healthy dose of vitamin D during the daylight hours. Vitamin D has been associated with mood management and depression. Many people are low in vitamin D, which means they can benefit by spending more time outside in the sun.
Just make sure to be careful, because too much time in the sun can result in sunburn and possibly increase the risk of skin cancer. You only need a little bit of sun exposure to get the necessary vitamin D for overall health and wellness.
Endurance Building and Cross Training
What other physical activities do you enjoy? No matter the sports that you play, swimming can be a great solution to help with cross training. As you build your endurance in the swimming pool, you will also notice an improvement in your on-field endurance as well.
Swimming works your heart and lungs, which gives you more capacity for the other exercises that you love. You will be more effective in other athletic activities, such as running, playing sports, dancing, biking, and more.
Tips for Setting Effective New Year’s Goals
No matter the New Year’s goals that you choose, make sure you are setting yourself up for success with goals that are achievable and effective. Here are a few quick goals to help with your 2023 goal planning:
- Measurable: Make sure your goals can be measured. For example, instead of setting a goal to “swim more,” decide how many times a week you want to swim. An effective goal might be 3x weekly swimming sessions for 30-minutes each.
- Enjoyable: Choose activities that you love. It’s easier to reach your New Year’s goals when you are doing things that are enjoyable. If you are bored on a treadmill, then swimming can be a great way to switch things up and help you stay on track with your goals.
- Easy: One of the reasons why a backyard swimming pool is helpful for your fitness goals is because you don’t have to go anywhere to work out. It’s easy to jump in the pool for a quick swimming session, which reduces the resistance to meeting your goals.
Swimming Pool Installation Services
Are you considering a backyard pool installation for your home? Then reach out to us at Mid City Custom Pools for a personalized consultation. We are here to assist with your new pool installation and more.