HEALTH

Seagulls Swimming Club are committed to ensuring that we have a competitive club and that our swimmers also enjoy what they are doing.  However, there are also major health benefits associated with swimming - most of us have probably learnt to swim in response to the basic safety element that being able to swim provides us.  However, swimming is an ideal sport for developing muscular & skeletal growth (because it uses all the body’s major muscle groups) in addition to providing high aerobic endurance & stamina. 

Swimming also enhances flexibility by exercising all the major muscle joints in full range of motion, thus capitalising on the natural flexibility of young athletes.  It also develops superior co-ordination because it requires complex muscle movements of all parts of the body, enhancing harmonious muscle function, grace & fluidity of motion.

The water pressure against the legs & arms is also beneficial to the circulatory system.  The water pressure adds to the muscle pressure exerted on the veins to aid in returning blood to the heart & lungs.

Importantly, swimming is also a very low impact exercise & the provided weightlessness of the water greatly reduces stress on joints (in water you weigh about a tenth of your normal weight).  This virtually eliminates the potential of back, knee & other muscular injuries & so swimming is the most injury-free sport of all those offered to children.  Therefore, swimming is also a great way of keeping fit for participation in other sports as well. 

Swimming also becomes more than a sport to many of those who participate, engaging them in fitness for life.  But most of all swimming is by far one of the most fun & enjoyable fitness activities one can participate in. 

Sources:  BUPA & bbc.co.uk