The weight loss mechanism of swimming: the properties of water and its unique fitness advantages
Swimming as a Weight Loss Strategy
There are many water-based exercises for weight loss, but the most important and widely popular is swimming. Here, swimming refers to non-competitive swimming, including indoor and outdoor swimming, natural and artificial water bathing areas, room temperature swimming, and winter swimming, as well as strokes such as breaststroke, backstroke, sidestroke, butterfly, and freestyle. Therefore, this chapter introduces swimming as a weight loss strategy.
The weight loss mechanism of swimming
Swimming is an ancient sport inextricably linked to human origins and development. With societal progress and increased health awareness, swimming is increasingly becoming a popular choice for fitness and weight loss. Its unique advantages make it highly effective for fitness and weight loss, making it widely popular.
I. Overview of Basic Swimming Knowledge
As we all know, the development of ancient human civilization began at the water's edge. Besides being a necessity for life, water also plays a vital role in maintaining human health, especially with the emergence of water sports like swimming, which have had a significant impact on promoting health. Today, swimming has become a popular sport enjoyed by people of all ages, which is undoubtedly related to its origins, development, and its practical advantages in fitness and weight loss.
(I) The Origin and Development of Swimming
1. Origin
Based on existing historical records, the consensus both domestically and internationally is that ancient swimming originated among people living near rivers, lakes, and seas. This is because, through long-term production and daily life practices, people needed to catch waterfowl and fish for food in order to survive. They needed to move organically in rivers, lakes, and seas using their hands, legs, and torsos to move freely in the water. Thus, by observing and imitating the swimming movements of animals such as fish and frogs, they gradually learned to swim.
my country has a long history and vast waterways. Records show that swimming began five thousand years ago. However, swimming as a sport has only developed in the last few decades.
Modern swimming originated in England. Swimming activities were already quite active in many parts of England in the 1660s.
2. Development
In 1828, the first indoor swimming pool was built in George Dock, Liverpool, and similar pools appeared in major cities across Britain by the 1830s.
In 1837, the first swimming organization was established in London, England, and the earliest swimming competition in Britain was held.
In January 1869, the Federation of Major City Swimming Clubs (the predecessor of the current British Amateur Swimming Association) was established in London, officially recognizing swimming as a specialized sport. It subsequently spread to the British colonies and then throughout the world. With the development of swimming, it was divided into two main categories: practical swimming and competitive swimming. Practical swimming includes sidestroke, underwater swimming, backstroke, treading water, rescue swimming, and armed swimming; competitive swimming includes breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly.
(II) The Unique Advantages of Swimming for Weight Loss and Fitness
1. Water has heat dissipation properties.
The heat conduction capacity of water is more than 20 times higher than that of air, and a person expends a lot of energy even when stationary in water. When a person experiences a cold stimulus in water, subcutaneous blood vessels constrict to prevent excessive heat loss. Simultaneously, as movement continues in the water, a large amount of heat is released to prevent hypothermia. Therefore, exercise improves subcutaneous blood circulation and promotes metabolism. Swimming has certain effects on improving skin elasticity, maintaining skin health, and enhancing beauty.
2. Water has pressure.
When a person moves in water, they are inevitably affected by water pressure. For every 10 meters increase in water depth, the pressure increases by one atmosphere. When swimming, especially when prone or with shoulders submerged, the lungs are generally 30-50 centimeters below the surface, experiencing a pressure increase of 0.03-0.05 atmospheres compared to land-based exercises. This makes breathing more difficult and places higher demands on cardiopulmonary function. One of the diseases of modern civilization is poor cardiopulmonary function. Long-term, appropriate swimming is extremely effective in improving overall blood circulation.
3. Water has buoyancy.
Water possesses buoyancy. The specific gravity of a human body is roughly the same as that of water. When inhaling deeply, the chest cavity expands, decreasing the specific gravity to 0.96–0.99, causing the person to float. Conversely, during exhalation, the specific gravity increases to 1.02–1.05, causing the person to sink. Due to buoyancy, a person experiences a feeling of floating in water. This buoyancy prevents obese individuals from feeling fatigued from supporting their own weight, and also prevents excessive fatigue during swimming.
4. Water has resistance.
The resistance a person experiences while swimming in water is over 800 times greater than in air, requiring at least six times the effort compared to swimming on land. This has certain benefits for improving cardiovascular function, skin elasticity, and overall appearance. It also allows the body to achieve a significant level of exercise without realizing it, helping to burn energy and thus contributing to weight loss.
5. Water has massage and skin care functions.
Swimming in water results in less sweating, reducing the irritation to the skin caused by the salt in sweat after land-based training. The massage and patting effects of the water flow have a special massaging effect, effectively preventing and reducing skin sagging and aging, leaving the skin elastic.
6. Water has a protective function.
Swimming is a safe exercise for weight loss and fitness. Exercising in water is very effective in promoting blood circulation and relieving mental stress. During swimming, the load on muscles, joints, ligaments, and supporting organs is reduced, resulting in a very low rate of sports injuries.
(III) Benefits of Swimming for Weight Loss
1. Can promote overall physical health
Swimming is a full-body exercise that can not only help you lose weight, but also improve your cardiovascular function and strengthen all your muscles.
2. Can help maintain a good body shape
In water, the bones can fully relax, which is beneficial for maintaining an upright posture. For teenagers who are in the growth and development stage, regular swimming can promote height growth.
3. Can prevent sports injuries to the lower limbs and waist.
When exercising on land for weight loss, obese individuals bear a heavy gravitational load, especially on their lower limbs and waist, reducing their exercise capacity, causing fatigue, and significantly diminishing their interest in weight loss exercises. This can also damage lower limb joints and bones. Swimming, on the other hand, takes place in water, where a significant portion of the obese person's weight is supported by buoyancy. This greatly reduces the burden on the lower limbs and waist, significantly lowering the risk of joint and bone damage.
4. Can promote skin health
When swimming, the buoyancy, resistance, and pressure of the water provide an excellent massage for the body. The gentle friction of the water flow on the skin promotes blood circulation in the skin's capillaries and the metabolism of epidermal cells, resulting in smooth, moisturized, elastic, and healthier skin.
5. Can enhance weight loss effect
Swimming burns a significant amount of energy because the resistance of water is far greater than the resistance of air on land. It's easy to imagine that walking in water is already strenuous, so swimming burns even more calories. Furthermore, water conducts heat 24 times better than air, and its temperature is generally lower than air temperature, which also facilitates heat dissipation and calorie expenditure. Therefore, swimming burns much more energy than land-based activities like running, thus enhancing its weight loss effects.
6. Can promote metabolism
Swimming significantly increases metabolism. Studies show that swimming for 30 minutes can burn 1100 kilojoules of energy, and this metabolic rate remains high for a period after stopping swimming, making it an ideal daily method for weight loss. For thin people, swimming can actually lead to weight gain due to the muscle-building effects of swimming. Therefore, it can be said that swimming can help overweight people lose weight and underweight people gain weight, allowing everyone to achieve a slim figure.
7. Can help correct body shape
Besides aiding in weight loss, swimming can also help correct certain poor posture. When swimming, people tend to extend their spine and lengthen their strokes to increase speed. This is beneficial for correcting hunchback and scoliosis.