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8 Reasons Active Seniors Should Dive into Swimming During Retirement

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Many seniors think exercise is just a distant memory due to obstacles like pain, decreased endurance and balance. There is also the fear of injury. The fact of the matter is that water exercises get aging adults moving and active. It’s a safe, comfortable, and rewarding way to live an active lifestyle once more. Here are eight ways that swimming benefits seniors and conquers their exercise concerns. So, grab your swimsuit, and let’s dive into the numerous and undeniable benefits of swimming and to being an active senior!

The 8 Benefits of Swimming for Active Seniors

  1. No Weight on Your Joints

Anything you do in the water is the ultimate low-impact exercise. This means you’re not exerting a jarring force on your joints. The reason is that water supports about 90% of your body weight when you’re in the pool. This means you float through your exercise session with no pressure on your joints. In this relatively weightless environment, active seniors overcome painful movement caused by arthritis and other health conditions.

  1. A Healthier Brain

Before you even move a muscle, immersing yourself in water increases blood flow to your brain. The benefits of this good blood flow include improved concentration, memory, mood, and cognitive function. Studies show that for active seniors, swimming may even help repair damage from stress. It can actually forge new neural connections in the brain.

  1. A Workout for Your Heart

By swimming regularly, active seniors reap cardiovascular benefits to their long-term health. If your heart is strong, it pumps blood more efficiently for improved circulation throughout your body—including the brain. The bottom line is that regular aerobic exercise, like swimming, has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

  1. A Lift for Your Mood

Almost all the senses are involved when you swim: sight, sound, touch, and smell, and if you’re not careful, sometimes taste! The rhythmic strokes and breath create a focus that soothes. The feel of water moving over your body is a sensation much like a massage. Unless it’s a bustling pool, the calm and quiet surroundings alleviate stress, encourage relaxation, and even spark creativity. In actuality, swimming is a form of mindfulness.

  1. Better Flexibility and Range of Motion

Even the most active senior loses some range of motion as they age. But that’s not a problem in the water! The buoyancy of the water allows swimmers to move their arms and legs more easily through the full range of motion. Regular swimming helps keep joints supple and improves flexibility—an essential aspect of health and well-being for older adults. For those with a limited range of motion on land, stretching in the water can even improve flexibility.

  1. Improved Muscle Strength and Tone

Going for a dip in the pool is a full-body exercise that tones every major muscle group. The natural resistance of the water helps strengthen muscles faster than any land-based exercise. If you’re doing laps, different strokes focus on different muscle groups. For that reason, using a combination of strokes will get you the all-over tone you want.

  1. Reduced Risk of Fall

We’ve already established that swimming works for all the major muscle groups. With stronger muscles overall, especially the upper body, core muscles, and leg muscles, posture and stability are improved. All of this reduces the risk of falls.

  1. Stronger, Happier Back

With gravity out of the way, active seniors don’t have to worry about posture or body weight on their spines when exercising. And you don’t have to be a lap swimmer to reap real benefits. Water is ideal for gentle exercise as well. It can be as simple as walking in waist-deep water. The water takes the pressure off your joints and back all while you’re moving.

Swimming at Jacaranda Trace

We are so certain of the health benefits of swimming. That’s why we’re one of the few senior living communities offering our members a pool and aquatic exercise program. It’s a jewel in our community. Our active senior residents benefit from year-round lap swimming, aqua classes, and recreational swimming. Our pool area is as relaxing and social as it is healthful. We even incorporate water exercises for our members receiving physical rehabilitation because of water’s gentle resistance and help with balance.

Learn more about Jacaranda Trace, in Venice, Florida, and our lifestyle, including our wellness and exercise programs. Call us at 941-408-2050 or schedule a personal appointment.