Do you want to work out, but have trouble doing so because of knee pain or foot injuries? Here’s a great combination that can help you exercise and stay fit: swimming, plus regular massage. While swimming is a relaxing hobby, it’s also a great form of exercise that can improve your joints and muscles without stress or the risk of injury. The swimming/massage combination works even if you’re not hurt and simply want to avoid workout injuries. So dive in and check out the benefits of swimming and massage on your body.
Improve strength
If you’re looking to improve your exercise routine, start in the water. Simply keeping yourself afloat activates all the muscles in your body. That includes your legs (kicking) arms (paddling) and your core (not sinking).
Moreover, water workouts increase the resistance on your muscles without additional stress – perfect for resistance training. Aqua exercise is also a good option for improving cardiovascular strength, as well.
That said, if you’re trying to bulk up like Kylo Ren, you’ll still need to hit the gym on a regular basis to build muscle through weight lifting. That said, regular swimming can build overall body strength.
Relieve back and joint pain
One of the biggest benefits of swimming (and other aquatic exercise) is that it puts a lower impact on the spine and other joints – much less than running or other forms of exercise. For that, you can thank the water – its natural buoyancy keeps you from injuries like stress fractures, sprains, and pinched nerves. Even if you’re not already injured, consider a pool workout to prevent future injury. People with arthritis or other inflammation of the joints
Pair the benefits of swimming with massage
Massages can be a good supplement for your swimming routine. A pre-swim sports massage is best done before you hit the water. The point of this massage is to prep your body for exercise in the water. Make sure to tell your therapist that you want a massage for swimmers. Your therapist will likely include stretching and rocking motions meant to improve stamina and flexibility, and prevent cramping (never a good thing in the water.) If you have pre-existing injuries or medical conditions, let your therapist know.
After a water workout, you should also consider a post-swim sports massage to diminish muscle soreness. Just because swimming is low impact doesn’t mean it’s not physically demanding!
When getting a massage before or after a swim, it’s important that you’re assisted by a licensed massage therapist, and specifically a therapist with certifications in sports massage.
Lose weight
If healthy weight loss is your goal, swimming may be the exercise for you. Swimming, like all exercise, requires movement, and this motion burns calories. Because swimming used so many muscles (arms, legs, core, back, etc.) at the same time, your body is working harder to get oxygen to them all. Swimming freestyle will burn between 500 and 650 calories an hour, depending on your starting weight and the intensity of your workout. If joint pain is an issue, remember that weight loss can also reduce stress on knees and hips.
To conclude, the benefits of swimming are many – and, combined with massage, can keep you healthy and fit all year long.