A Healthy Heart is a Happy Heart

February is American Heart Month so let’s take a brief moment to reflect on how swimming helps our hearts. Most of us may know swimming is a wonderful form of exercise, helping to increase muscle tone and build strength, but perhaps the greatest benefit swimming has on the body is the positive effects on the heart.

The heart is one of the most important muscles in our body and, like any other muscle, requires exercise in order to work more efficiently. Swimming is an aerobic, or cardio, exercise; aerobic exercise forces the heart to pump blood at a higher rate in order to distribute oxygen to the muscles so they can work harder. Making swimming a habit will aid the heart in becoming stronger, making you and your heart healthier than ever before. Another great benefit of swimming is that it reduces the risk of heart complications through lowering the levels of LDL, bad cholesterol, and increasing the levels of HDL, good cholesterol.

Some other benefits of swimming include improving blood pressure and lowering the chance of getting coronary heart disease.

According to a study done by the Cooper Clinic in Dallas swimmers had the best blood pressure, cholesterol levels, maximum energy output, and best overall heart health compared to people that practice other forms of aerobic exercise such as running, walking, and those that do not engage in regular aerobic exercise.

So now you have plenty of reasons to get off the couch and dive into the pool! Do it for your heart and, most of all, do it for yourself. Get out there and have some fun!

– Noel Torres
Fan of swimming and fitness, studying creative writing at Adelphi University