Why Does Swimming Make You Feel So Good: Something on Powerful Feel-Good Hormones
Why does swimming make you feel happy? There are tens of reasons.
But first, something special!
Water is one of the four classical elements. The other three are air, fire, and earth. Now, being near flowing or open water has such a calming effect on your nerves.
But wait until you are stressed and you take a dip in the ocean, saltwater or chlorine pool. The therapeutic feeling you enjoy afterward is simply incredible!
In the post on why is swimming so good, we looked at its mental, emotional, and physical health benefits. And there are many!
So, really, why does swimming make you feel so happy? Like any other exercise, including sex, swimming helps the body secrete more feel-good hormones such as dopamine and serotonin. This leads to a decrease in the level of the stress hormone cortisol.
But the feel-good hormones are not all there is to swimming. Here are the main reasons why swimming is so therapeutic:
1. It helps you sleep sounder
Swimming works out almost all muscle groups, including the core! It is also a tiring exercise. As with all of the other exercises, working out intensively signals your body to start releasing more melatonin hormone. This hormone is responsible for regulating your sleep and sleep cycles.
If you have been having trouble sleeping, you can swim in the ocean in the evening, tire your muscles out, and you will sleep like a baby that night.
Generally, people who exercise frequently have their circadian rhythms (sleep, wakefulness, metabolism, and others) check all the boxes perfectly.
Enjoying sound sleep at night makes you more productive the following day since you can remember things more clearly and feel more relaxed.
Achieving a good day’s work makes you feel really happy about yourself.
2. Cardio workouts enhance blood flow
What is the result of proper cardio? Very relaxing
Swimming is the best cardio workout for anyone out there. Cardio enhances circulation by boosting the heart rate, and lung health.
This means more nutrients and oxygen can flow to different parts of your body, including the brain! Good blood flow reduces soreness, headaches, and migraines, and you certainly start to sleep better and longer at night.
If you include HiiT (High-intensity interval training) in your swimming cardio, you will marvel at what this can do.
HiiT has so many benefits. First, it gives you a properly regulated heart rate. Secondly, it improves your breathing, so you feed your body with enough oxygen all the time.
Thirdly, Hiit helps your body burn more calories than regular workouts would. Imagine the swimming 3 times a week results that you could achieve just by including HiiT in your swimming workouts.
3. Swimming takes your mind off things
Imagine the danger of drowning in the ocean lurking in your mind all the time. The sea currents are stronger, and the water is colder. You must pay attention.
And this is not only the ocean, because an average of 10 deaths occur daily from drowning in swimming pools.
You cannot afford to be stressed when you are in the pool. You have to get everything off your mind and pay attention to the water. It is just you and the water, swimming until you become one with the water.
Besides, some people say the blue of the water has a calming effect on their minds. It will do the same for you.
It is so good that some people say even dreaming of swimming in a calm ocean at night makes them wake up feeling calm and collected in the morning.
When you swim, you have to move your legs and your arms. You also have to keep your nose out of the water to breathe properly. This is why you cannot afford to divide your attention.
By the time you are done swimming, your mind feels so calm, and clutter-free. You can face the world again.
4. You are doing something about your physique
When you start doing something that is positive for your image, you feel happy about yourself. This is why swimming makes you feel happy.
If you have been having weight issues, you should try swimming. Swimming everyday for a month has great results.
But the real joy is not even in the weight loss itself. It is in the mind. You start feeling so good about yourself because at last, you are doing something about it.
If you are packing a lot of weight, the loss will be rapid at first and then as most of the fat goes, it will slow down.
By the time you start losing some weight, you will be motivated. Swimming is so fun, such that even when burning the calories, you don’t feel as if it is work.
Besides, some things such as floating on your back are a lot of fun. So is something like treading water, not forgetting that it too helps you lose weight.
Whether you are swimming for fun or on a mission to lose weight, you will feel really happy about it.
5. Releases more feel-good hormones
Feel-good hormones impact your happiness in a big way. There are four feel-good hormones – oxytocin, dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin.
If you are always feeling stressed and moody, it is because the level of your feel-good hormones is low. Thankfully, the solution to this is very simple. You just need to change your diet and include exercise in your daily routine. Which workout is better than swimming, which works out all muscle groups?
When the swimming season (summer) kicks in, get in the swimming pool. That is not all, because you can also swim in a heated swimming pool in winter.
To make swimming a part of your workout routine, you don’t even need a regular in-ground pool. You can get the best inflatable swimming pool and have fun every day.
Swimming alone is a lot of fun, but it is even more fun when you do it in a public swimming pool. You might even get lucky and catch a guy wearing one of the I pee in pools t-shirts and looking real goofy in it.
If you can get everyone in the family to swim, you can have one large, happy family. Besides, it is good for family time, where you can all catch up on the week that has been.
Even swimming with strangers feels great, especially when you are swimming in the open water. You feel happy knowing that you have someone watching your back.
Take this opportunity to train a 4 year old how to swim. Children love water, so it is going to be a great experience for both of you.
Also read: How to swim with a life jacket
Final Thoughts
There is no doubt that swimming makes you feel really happy. It is so good for emotional health that doctors prescribe it for some people as a stress buster!
If you have been feeling stressed lately, check your exercise routine. If it is a bit lacking, consider boosting it up. Consider including swimming a few times a week in the routine.
For physical as well as mental health benefits, take up swimming. You will love its mood-boosting ability.
If you live near a large water body, such as a lake or ocean, go swim there, but make sure there are lifeguards.
If you don’t have a pool at home and you have enough space, consider installing an above ground pool. It can increase the value of your property tremendously.
Other options include swimming at the nearest leisure center, hotel, or resort. Even if you don’t know how, you can learn how to swim by yourself, or pay a trainer.