Swimming: So much more than a sport!

26 Nov 2020No Comments

Swimming began as a sport in Britain in the late 18th century, but it was already practiced during prehistory according to some paintings, dating back to the Stone Age 7,000 years ago.

Swimming has always been an elite sport. It was born into wealthy families, because, having a good economic condition, they could allocate money for their recreation and amusement. Swimming is currently practiced by millions of people around the world. It is one of the activities that people like to see more on television as well as in the Olympics.

There are 4 styles in swimming: free, chest, back and butterfly. It is practiced in different distances and variations such as relays.

High-performance swimming

There’s another category of swimming  called Open Water. This is not carried out in a swimming pool but in places with natural water such as the sea or a lake. This type of swimming is more demanding, as the swimmer must fight special conditions such as currents or waves.

Another modality is the triathlon where swimming is combined with athletics and cycling.

High-performance swimmers abound in our country. Its precursors were:

1. María del Milagro París. She was the first tica swimmer to reach a world final and the first male or female athlete to reach an Olympic final. She obtained the eighth place at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
2. Sylvia Poll. She was the first tica swimmer to win an Olympic medal in Seoul 1988, earning a well-deserved silver medal.

• Claudia Poll. She gave us the first gold medal at an It occurred at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, but she also won two bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

These 3 swimmers have one thing in common: discipline and perseverance.

As the three of them know, swimming requires some sacrifices, such as getting up early, swimming after a grueling day of work or study, and sometimes, enduring the cold water from some pools in the early morning.

In this article we do not intend to make you an Olympic athlete, but we wanted to give you some data that will allow you to remember why these sacrifices are worth making.

Benefits of swimming

Everyone says swimming is the most complete sport and in fact it is, because when you practice it you work 2 thirds of the body muscles; this increases your flexibility, strength, and endurance. Here are some of the benefits of swimming:

Swimming as an aerobic exercise

Swimming is within the range of aerobic exercise and is highly recommended by doctors to improve some health problems such as hernias, spine wear or hip problems. In each stroke you make, you improve the way you breathe, therefore, your make a better respiratory exchange and increase your lung capacity. Oxygen consumption improves by up to 10% and the heart will be able to boost blood by up to 18% more, than under normal circumstances.

Low intensity exercise

Swimming is a low-intensity exercise, but the swimmer is exposed to activity for a longer period of time. This helps lower cholesterol concentration levels in the blood, asthma or diabetes.

It can be practiced at any age, the risk of injury is lower and its regular practice produces benefits for the body in the medium and long term.

Swimming to lose weight

Do you want to lose weight? Swimming will be an important part of your new program, because depending on how often and intensely you practice it, you can lose up to 600 calories per hour. When swimming you don’t wear down the joints and bones as much, because there is no pounding with hard surfaces.

Psychological effects of swimming

There is an important effect that happens to us when we enter the water and start swimming: our body relaxes and stress is reduced. This is because having better breath control relaxes the nervous system, thus combating states of stress and anxiety as endorphins are released. This increases the blood flow to the brain which can help improve memory, mental clarity and cognitive function.

You’d like to swim but don´t have a team with whom practice the sport?

Good news! In Costa Rica there are many swimming teams that you can join, inside and outside of the metropolitan area. You can do it competitively or recreationally, but one thing is certain, while improving your physical and mental condition with such a relaxing sport you will meet a new circle of people who will contribute a lot to your life in a positive way.

In Mundo Acuático you can find all the necessary items and gear for swimming, which will allow you to practice this wonderful sport, whether you are a beginner or an advanced swimmer. An advisor will give you the best tips to make your purchase effective and profitable.

So, go ahead with your new life plan!