Now that summer has officially arrived, it’s the perfect time to bask in the sunshine and enjoy the beautiful outdoors. The summertime allows people to explore various outdoor activities and hobbies, including swimming. Swimming benefits older adults and is a great hobby you could start this summer. Dive in while we explore the many benefits of swimming for seniors to stay happy, healthy, and fit.
Benefits of Swimming for Older Adults
Mood Benefits: Swimming releases endorphins, also commonly referred to as “feel good” hormones your body naturally produces while exercising. Endorphins aid in pain management and stress release and are known to increase the serotonin in your body. Because of this, swimming can help reduce feelings of depression and anxiety in older adults. Overall, swimming can profoundly affect your overall mental well-being and is a great exercise for those who want to combat any negative feelings or thoughts.
Brain Function: Swimming has proven to significantly enhance brain function. Swimming, along with many other forms of exercise, increases blood flow to your brain and the rest of your body. Blood flow is needed to provide the brain with additional nutrients and oxygen, allowing brain cells to develop and grow. Even though swimming is a physical activity, it’s also exercising the brain. All of this is necessary to support the cognitive functioning in older adults. Swimming can help with memory, perception, learning, thinking, motor skills, and more, which is vital in keeping your brain healthy.
Social Inclusion: Older adults must foster relationships with others to have a sense of belonging and community. Swimming can remove any feeling of social isolation and loneliness by giving older adults the opportunity to meet others. Local YMCA’s and community pools offer group swimming classes and activities designed specifically for older adults. These classes are great ways to meet new people and explore water exercises.
Improved Strength: Swimming is a low-impact sport that reduces muscle stress for those who may experience stiffness or have physical limitations. This low-impact sport reduces the risk of injuries for older adults and even helps in toning muscles. Swimming is ideal for seniors looking to improve their flexibility, strength, stability, and range of motion to stay physically active.
Weight Management: Low-impact workouts like swimming can burn just as many calories as higher-intensity workouts. Swimming is beneficial for older adults aiming to maintain or lose weight. The average person burns about 200 calories when swimming for 30 minutes. However, the number of calories burned will depend on the intensity, duration, and type of stroke used.
Cardiovascular Endurance: Swimming is an aerobic exercise that raises one’s heart rate by utilizing oxygen and breathwork. It enhances respiratory capacity and the effectiveness of blood circulation in older adults. In addition, it strengthens one’s heart and improves overall lung capacity. Swimming involves every body part, making it an ideal full-body workout for seniors looking to improve their endurance and heart health.
Sleep Quality: Swimming encourages mindfulness and relaxation, improving sleep quality among older adults. It also helps regulate the circadian rhythms, the body’s internal clock that assists in a consistent sleeping and waking schedule. Swimming even requires the body to adjust to the water’s temperature, causing a slight decline in one’s body temperature. When this happens, it signals to the body that it’s time to sleep, making sleep come naturally at nighttime.
What Are the Different Types of Swim Strokes?
Breaststroke: The breaststroke is a popular swimming technique that’s comfortable for older adults. With the breaststroke, a swimmer’s head stays out of the water most of the time, making it an exercise that can be performed for longer and at a slower pace. This stroke is an excellent option for seniors who want to focus on their breathwork and strengthen their lung capacity.
Backstroke: The backstroke is the most effortless swimming stroke. It is performed on the back using arm movements and leg kicks to propel yourself through the water. It is a great exercise for older adults who are looking to improve their posture and strengthen their upper backs. In addition, it even enhances hip flexibility.
Freestyle: Freestyle swimming is the most common and fastest swimming technique. For seniors whose fitness goals are to burn calories and increase endurance, the freestyle is the best swimming option for you. This exercise not only helps you burn calories, but it’s also easier on your muscle joints than other exercise types like running.
Sidestroke: The sidestroke is great for seniors who are looking to swim at a leisurely pace and not exert too much energy. This swimming technique is easier on the joints compared to other strokes but still helps in building muscle.
Swimming Classes Fit for Seniors
Swimming classes and workouts offer seniors a refreshing way to stay active and cool during warmer seasons. The water’s gentle resistance helps build strength and flexibility without straining any muscles. There are group swimming lessons geared specifically toward older adults who are looking to jump in the water for a great workout. Here are a few swimming classes and exercises seniors might enjoy:
Aqua Zumba Classes: Aqua Zumba is a group exercise class incorporating different dance styles into the water workout like salsa, rumba, merengue, samba, soca, and many more! It is a cardio workout that will help burn calories, improve your flexibility, and give you more confidence. You’ll even get to dance to popular music and sing along! These classes are great ways to meet new people and foster new friendships.
Water Aerobics Classes: A popular fitness class for seniors is water aerobics. Exercises that are usually used in water aerobics classes are sidesteps, lunches, arm raises, leg kicks, hip kicks, etc. All exercises targeted in this class are meant to improve older adults’ strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Water Walking: Water walking can be done in group settings or individually. It involves walking in the pool water at your own pace. When walking in water, avoid stepping on your tippy toes to prevent adding stress to your ankles and to engage your core properly.
Aqua Jogging: Aqua jogging, also referred to as water jogging, involves older adults lightly jogging in pool water. It is usually done at deeper ends of the pool where feet do not touch the bottom. This gives swimmers a larger range of motion and removes any possibility of putting stress on different parts of the body. Older adults of all different fitness levels can participate in aqua jogging, and this too can be done alone or in a group setting.
Swimming classes are excellent exercise opportunities, offering a variety of classes tailored to older adults’ interests. If you need assistance in the water, swimming classes provide kickboards, floats, noodles, and training fins for extra support. While swimming is a low-impact sport, please remember to never overdo any physical activity. Rest days allow your body time to recover and recharge following a swimming class.
Navigate the Benefits of Swimming for Older Adults at Lighthouse Senior Living
At Lighthouse Senior Living we want all our residents to prioritize their health and wellbeing with fun physical activities they enjoy. This summer we encourage residents to try a group swimming class, where they can make waves towards enhancing their physical health.
Embark on a summer of discovery at Lighthouse Senior Living, where a diverse range of physical activities awaits you. Contact us today to learn about the myriad programs, activities, and amenities we provide.