6 bienfaits de la natation pour la santé

Quels sont les bienfaits de la natation ?

Dr Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy explains that swimming is a fantastic form of aerobic exercise, engaging various areas of the body.

Une forme douce d'exercice qui sollicite différentes parties du corps

Courir des kilomètres sur un tapis roulant n'est pas la forme d'exercice préférée de tout le monde, donc la natation pourrait être pour vous si vous préférez quelque chose de plus lent et plus doux, mais toujours bénéfique. Pour cette raison, la natation est un excellent exercice lorsque nous vieillissons et adoptons un mode de vie plus sédentaire.

Aide à développer les muscles

Another benefit of swimming is that it can also improve your la forme physique by increasing your endurance and stamina levels, helping you to maintain a healthy weight, toning your muscles, and increasing strength. Since it works your entire body - from your fingertips down to your toes - swimming is a great all-over exercise.

Aide à la perte de poids

Regular swimming can decrease your body fat levels. Lee explains that swimming uses up more calories than many land-based exercises, such as running.

According to Lee, the exact amount of calories you will burn depends on your weight but, for example, someone weighing 155 pounds - around 11 stone - will roughly use up between 493 and 704 calories per hour while swimming. If you tend to sweat heavily when exercising, swimming is good as it helps keep you cool.

La natation peut également entraîner des changements favorables dans vos lipides sanguins (cholestérol).

Additionally, swimming is a good exercise if you've gone a long time without working out and want to ease yourself back into exercise. Swimming can ease your chance of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabète de type 2, and démence too.

Améliore la santé mentale

Swimming regularly can greatly améliorez votre santé mentale. The exercise helps to combat stress and reduce levels of l'anxiété et dépression by raising levels of endorphins - the brain's natural painkillers. This is why you'll often feel calmer and more relaxed post-swim.

In one study conducted by YouGov, 492,000 adults with mental health conditions said they had reduced their number of visits to a medical professional for their mental health as a result of swimming once every 2-3 weeks. Commissioned by Swim England, the poll also found that 490,000 people reduced, or no longer take, medicine for mental health because of swimming.¹

En fait, le simple fait de vous immerger dans l'eau peut augmenter le flux sanguin vers le cerveau, ce qui non seulement améliore votre humeur, mais aussi la mémoire, la concentration et la fonction cognitive générale. Sans oublier que la natation peut être une activité sociale que vous pouvez pratiquer avec des amis, réduisant ainsi la solitude et augmentant la motivation générale dans la vie.

Research also suggests that swimming can reverse brain damage from stress by creating new neurons - a process called hippocampal neurogenesis.

Améliore le sommeil

It has long been hypothesised that physical activity such as swimming can aid with sleep and improve disorders such as insomnia. And it certainly seems to be a nice way to wind down at the end of the day, given that it doesn't need to be a strenuous activity, you can move at your own pace and it's done in a calm environment.

De plus, certaines personnes apprécient simplement les sons de l'eau. Si vous nagez dans une piscine privée ou lorsque votre piscine locale est calme le soir, le clapotis de l'eau peut être apaisant et vous aider à vous détendre.

Allège la pression sur les articulations

Going swimming isn't going to fatiguer vos articulations in the same way that weightlifting would.

Pour cette raison, la natation est un exercice sain pour les personnes d'âge moyen à plus âgées, car elle est sûre mais offre également une large gamme de bienfaits que vous ne pourriez pas obtenir d'une activité plus physiquement exigeante.

For example, one study of adult women compared the effects of swimming versus walking. The findings indicated that, in the short term, swimming reduced body weight. In the long term, swimming improved body weight and improved body fat distribution in comparison with walking.²

Qui pourrait bénéficier le plus de la natation ?

Lee says that swimming is a good way of strengthening your core muscles - chest, back, abdominal and pelvic muscles. It can help tone the plancher pelvien. Therefore, swimming can help people with back pain, disc issues, and arthritis, and be a good form of physiotherapy after surgery, including joint replacements. A strong core helps with balance and stamina, can help keep someone mobile, and can help prevent falls.

Swimming has also been found to be beneficial for those with neurodegenerative conditions, telle que la sclérose en plaques, or after a spinal injury. It's also recommended for those who are pregnant, people with mental health conditions, and those with Alzheimer's disease.

Lee explains that the benefit of swimming is for just about everyone of all ages and abilities, provided it is done safely, and you seek advice before venturing into the pool if you have concerns, or have recently been diagnosed with a severe health condition.