6 benefícios da natação para a saúde

Quais são os benefícios da natação?

Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy explains that swimming is a fantastic form of aerobic exercise, engaging various areas of the body.

Uma forma suave de exercício que trabalha várias partes do corpo

Correr milhas em uma esteira não é a forma de exercício preferida de todos, então nadar pode ser para você se preferir algo mais lento e suave, mas ainda assim benéfico. Por essa razão, a natação é um ótimo exercício para quando ficamos mais velhos e adotamos um estilo de vida mais sedentário.

Ajuda a construir músculos

Another benefit of swimming is that it can also improve your é a aptidão física by increasing your endurance and stamina levels, helping you to maintain a healthy weight, toning your muscles, and increasing strength. Since it works your entire body - from your fingertips down to your toes - swimming is a great all-over exercise.

Ajuda na perda de peso

Regular swimming can decrease your body fat levels. Lee explains that swimming uses up more calories than many land-based exercises, such as running.

According to Lee, the exact amount of calories you will burn depends on your weight but, for example, someone weighing 155 pounds - around 11 stone - will roughly use up between 493 and 704 calories per hour while swimming. If you tend to sweat heavily when exercising, swimming is good as it helps keep you cool.

Nadar também pode resultar em mudanças favoráveis nos seus lipídios sanguíneos (colesterol).

Additionally, swimming is a good exercise if you've gone a long time without working out and want to ease yourself back into exercise. Swimming can ease your chance of cardiovascular disease, hipertensão, diabetes tipo 2, e demência too.

Melhora a saúde mental

Swimming regularly can greatly melhore sua saúde mental. The exercise helps to combat stress and reduce levels of ansiedade e depressão by raising levels of endorphins - the brain's natural painkillers. This is why you'll often feel calmer and more relaxed post-swim.

In one study conducted by YouGov, 492,000 adults with mental health conditions said they had reduced their number of visits to a medical professional for their mental health as a result of swimming once every 2-3 weeks. Commissioned by Swim England, the poll also found that 490,000 people reduced, or no longer take, medicine for mental health because of swimming.¹

Na verdade, apenas mergulhar na água pode aumentar o fluxo sanguíneo para o cérebro, não apenas melhorando o humor, mas também aprimorando a memória, a concentração e a função cognitiva geral. Sem mencionar que nadar pode ser uma atividade social que você pode fazer com amigos, reduzindo a solidão e aumentando a motivação geral na vida.

Research also suggests that swimming can reverse brain damage from stress by creating new neurons - a process called hippocampal neurogenesis.

Melhora o sono

It has long been hypothesised that physical activity such as swimming can aid with sleep and improve disorders such as insomnia. And it certainly seems to be a nice way to wind down at the end of the day, given that it doesn't need to be a strenuous activity, you can move at your own pace and it's done in a calm environment.

Além disso, algumas pessoas simplesmente apreciam os sons da água. Se você estiver nadando em uma piscina particular ou quando as piscinas locais estiverem tranquilas à noite, o som da água pode ser relaxante e ajudar você a descomprimir.

Alivia a pressão nas articulações

Going swimming isn't going to forçar suas articulações in the same way that weightlifting would.

Por esta razão, nadar é um exercício saudável para a meia-idade e a idade mais avançada, pois é seguro e também oferece uma ampla gama de benefícios que você pode não obter de algo mais fisicamente exigente.

For example, one study of adult women compared the effects of swimming versus walking. The findings indicated that, in the short term, swimming reduced body weight. In the long term, swimming improved body weight and improved body fat distribution in comparison with walking.²

Quem pode se beneficiar mais da natação?

Lee says that swimming is a good way of strengthening your core muscles - chest, back, abdominal and pelvic muscles. It can help tone the exercícios de fortalecimento do assoalho pélvico. Therefore, swimming can help people with back pain, disc issues, and arthritis, and be a good form of physiotherapy after surgery, including joint replacements. A strong core helps with balance and stamina, can help keep someone mobile, and can help prevent falls.

Swimming has also been found to be beneficial for those with neurodegenerative conditions, como esclerose múltipla, or after a spinal injury. It's also recommended for those who are pregnant, people with mental health conditions, and those with Alzheimer's disease.

Lee explains that the benefit of swimming is for just about everyone of all ages and abilities, provided it is done safely, and you seek advice before venturing into the pool if you have concerns, or have recently been diagnosed with a severe health condition.