Benefits of Running and Swimming Sports
According to certified personal trainer and CEO of Innovative Fitness, Curtis Christopherson, these two exercises offer physical, mental, and social benefits. Both of these sports are also suitable to be sports for life.
The benefits of running
“Running offers a variety of health benefits, including improved heart health, mental health, the immune system, and sleep quality,” says Christopherson.
And here’s why running is a good thing to do:
1. Running is good for heart health
According to Christopherson, running strengthens the heart while reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Research has shown that aerobic exercise increases HDL or good cholesterol concentrations and can also help lower blood pressure.
2. Running increases immunity
Doing moderate-vigorous exercise has been shown to suppress stress hormones (which damage the immune system) and mobilize natural killer cells, a type of white blood cell that can help control infection by minimizing its spread.
3. Helps reduce depression
Christopherson says that if you run outdoors, sun exposure can provide you with a healthy dose of vitamin D which plays a key role in mood regulation.
Benefits of swimming
What distinguishes swimming from many other types of exercise is that it is low in intensity, which means that your joints are not constantly stressed.
“Because of this, swimming is used for injury prevention, recovery and muscle building without a lot of risk,” said Scott Dickens, a former Olympic swimmer from Canada.
The benefits of swimming sports include:
1. Burn more calories
“Swimming uses more muscles than running. Because it has to be in the water, it requires more muscles to be involved. When more muscle is involved, more oxygen is needed, so more calories are burned, ”said Pete McCall, a personal trainer and fitness trainer.
2. Reducing the risk of heart disease
A small 2016 study found that people who followed a regular swimming routine had lower blood pressure, decreased carotid artery stiffness, and increased blood flow to the brain, all of which reduced their risk of heart disease.
3. Helps control blood sugar
According to a small 2016 study, doing high-intensity swimming three times a week can improve insulin sensitivity and balance blood glucose, both of which are linked to diabetes prevention.
(FIR)