Swimming is a very unique activity that can be used for health, fitness or fun. It doesn’t require any special gear or  equipment. Swimming can be a regular exercise, a warm up or cooling down activity with other exercises, or a social activity that can be enjoyed with family or friends.

Here are ten health and fitness benefits to motivate you to take up regular swimming:

1. Swimming involves the use of almost all the muscles required for movement, without the weight of your body pounding you with each move like when you are walking or running.
2. Swimming builds muscle strength, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness. The longer you swim, the more your endurance and speed improves.
3. Swimming improves the body’s use of oxygen and increases lung function, without overworking the heart.
4. Swimming stimulates circulation, and promotes proper breathing.
5. Swimming helps you sleep better.
6. Swimming burns calories at about 3 calories a mile per pound of body weight, so it helps maintain a healthy weight.
7. Swimming helps tone the upper arms, shoulders and legs.
8. Swimming doesn’t make you hot and sticky, as many other forms of exercise do.
9. Swimming is a great stress-buster. It relaxes the body and soothes the mind.
10. Swimming is a skill that can save your life, or help save someone else’s live.

Like any other sport or exercise, you can also use swimming to build discipline, enhance will power, increase competitiveness and improve your goal-setting skills.

[Photo taken by Salma when I jumped off the boat in Goa]

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