Swimming and Sleep Health
If you’re struggling to fall asleep each night, then swimming might be the solution you’ve been looking for.
A study by the National Sleep Foundation found that there is a big link between swimming regularly, and an overall increase in sleep quality and improvement in sleep health.
Whilst exercise can improve sleep, working out late in the evening can also be detrimental to the quality of rest. Swimming, on the other hand, combines gentle exercise with cardiovascular movement, meaning you’ll leave the pool feeling rejuvenated from the exercise, but also pretty tired from it all!
Benefits of Swimming
There are plenty of benefits to swimming, take a look at our top picks below:
Improved cardiovascular health! Swimming is perfect for improving your cardio ability.
If you’re prone to avoiding heading out on a run or you’ve got an aversion to HIIT workouts, then swimming could be your best option!
Swimming is brilliant for building your heart rate up, whilst also taking a lot of stress and pressure from your body. Many people opt for water therapy after breaking bones, as it helps to relieve weight on your muscles! It provides an all-over body workout! If you tend to get confused about what part of your body to work out and when heading to your local pool a few times a week can be the best solution for this puzzlement. It also tones muscles and builds overall strength, without exerting too much stress on your body.
So, how does swimming affect sleep?
Swimming works to improve sleep health by reducing causes of insomnia, take a look at the benefits below.
Reduces Stress. Swimming can be brilliant for reducing stress, which can manifest in both mental and physical symptoms. Gentle exercise can be wonderful for forgetting your troubles, whilst swimming can help to relieve tension in your muscles, usually fostered there due to worry.
Water Temperature and Sleep. If you’ve ever climbed out of the swimming pool and felt ready to head home straight to bed, you’re not alone. As we fall asleep, our bodies drop in temperature, the faster this happens, the faster we fall into slumber. That’s why taking a warm bath before bed can be so effective.
Swimming works in the same way. The drop in temperature as we climb out the pool, alongside the exertion of a workout, can make up feel super sleepy!
Water Resistance. When we swim, we are constantly pushing against the water to propel ourselves forward. This movement essentially translates into resistance training, which can have a tiring effect on the body.
One hour of swimming involves a lot of resistance training, which can not only improve our strength but make us ready for bed after we’ve finished!
Head to your local leisure center to give swimming a try, you’ll soon notice an improvement in your rest.