Hit the Pool, Not the Gym

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Here are seven reasons why swimming is good for your recovery journey.

Hit the pool instead of the gym when you want to improve both your physical and mental health.

Ever notice why we all look forward to summer and hit the beach or pool on the weekends or holidays? That’s because swimming is actually therapeutic. So much so, that it’s actually a clinical option for both physical and mental recovery called aquatic therapy. Swimming is primarily used for recovering from injuries or chronic illnesses. But there are actually several other benefits to swimming that most of us can take advantage of, especially while in recovery. Aquatic exercise can be anything from structured water aerobics, swimming laps, or just having fun.

Exercise, along with a good diet, is one of the best things you can do for yourself while in recovery. Improving your physical health makes you feel better and in turn makes it easier to improve your mental and emotional health. Exercise can even help repair some of the physical damage done by addiction and improve your mood directly by increasing serotonin and endorphins. Swimming, specifically, triggers a sense of calm and protection in your brain similar to what infants experience while they’re in the womb. Let’s look at eight more reasons why you should hit the pool.

Published

10/10/2022

Category

Fitness

Author

Ty Walker

#1

It increases your dopamine levels

First off, it’s just fun. And when you’re having fun, dopamine increases. Addiction hijacks your dopamine “reward system” so it’s important to take it back as often as you can. Simply being in the water is good for dopamine production because it makes you feel calm and secure, as mentioned earlier, but it also creates a sense of connection. Swimming together is actually found to increase tendencies toward things like compassion, altruism, and conservancy. This means that people who spend more time in water are more likely to take care of themselves and others.

#2

It can help reduce your anxiety

While most exercise techniques are good for anxiety, swimming forces you to face your anxiety head on. Performing strenuous exercise while keeping your face underwater gives most people a sense of panic when they first start. But those who power through and stick with it learn that the fear that underlined the panic was unwarranted once they knew what to do. There are countless opportunities like this during intense swimming practices where you’ll be challenged. You can then apply that same understanding to the rest of your daily life.

#3

It’s a good meditative experience

Swimming is a good meditative experience. You can move through soothing water naturally free of noisy distractions. The water also provides you with immediate feedback. This way, you can make adjustments to your technique as you stroke. This naturally requires more active thinking and focus than something like going for a walk. The extra concentration demanded by swimming often leads to what is commonly known as a “flow state.” While in a mental flow state, you’re more intrinsically motivated and emotionally regulated. Simply put, swimming can help you focus on good things.

#4

It can help improve lung capacity

If you’ve smoked cigarettes or other substances, your lungs will obviously be damaged to varying degrees. Swimming is better than any other physical activity for building lung capacity. Intense aquatic activities require you to push yourself in many aspects of lung use. You have to learn to hold in more breath, for longer and longer time, and breathe in and out at very specific times. If you still smoke, swimming can be an excellent motivator to quit and an even better replacement habit.

#5

It helps with chronic health issues

Chronic pain or sleep issues can be both the cause or effect of your addiction. Swimming can be an effective way of alleviating those issues in recovery. It can help relieve things like joint and back pain. Getting enough sleep, or just better sleep, has been proven to lower recurrence rates. Swimming can also be a great tool for getting better sleep and avoiding recurrences. According to The Huffington Post, swimming has been shown to “improve quality of sleep two-fold.” This is done not only by making you physically tired, but also by reducing your stress level, as noted above.

#6

It’s a great high cardio, low impact exercise

Indoor planting is becoming a lot more popular these days. However, taking part in more traditional gardening takes advantage of the physical benefits of the great outdoors. These advantages include increased vitamin D levels from the sun, lowered blood pressure, and a boosted immune system. Growing your own food can naturally improve your diet and nutrition, too. You can’t grow Cheetos as far as I’m aware. (But if anyone finds a way, can you please let me know?) You’ll naturally eat healthier because you’re eating unprocessed, unaltered food.

#7

It helps you make lifestyle changes

Recovery is ultimately about changing how we live our life. That’s why it’s such a long-term thing. We spend all of our energy avoiding old negative habits and building new, positive ones. Including regular exercise in your life is one of many effective strategies. Hitting your local beach or pool at a fitness center is a great way to instill new, positive habits in your life. In doing so, you’ll more than likely run into people who share the same new passion. That can open up the door for forging new friendships based around a common interest in a healthier lifestyle. They can keep you accountable to the goals you set for yourself and encourage you on your journey.

Conclusion

Key takeaways

  • Swimming makes you feel calm and protected, similar to what infants experience while they’re in the womb.
  • Swimming together increases tendencies toward things like compassion, altruism, and conservancy.
  • Performing strenuous exercise while keeping your face underwater helps you tackle anxiety head on.
  • Swimming is a great meditative experience. It forces you to focus more and proves immediate feedback.
  • If you’ve smoked, swimming builds lung capacity. You learn to hold in more breath and hold it longer.
  • Swimming can help with chronic joint and back pain and improve your sleeping habits.
  • At lower paces, swimming can offer great low-impact exercise that helps with obesity and other setbacks.
  • At higher paces, swimming is an excellent exercise for cardiovascular and muscle strength.
  • Most importantly, swimming can help you develop a better lifestyle that supports your recovery.

Challenge

Apply to your life

Hit the pool or beach! Spend some time in the water. Go at your own pace. Invite some friends to splash around or do some laps around the pool if you’re up for it. Make a note of how you feel, both physically and emotionally. Try to make it a habit, whether alone or with others. Though, having people with you that can spur you on is better.

Conclusion

Key takeaways

  • Swimming makes you feel calm and protected, similar to what infants experience while they’re in the womb.
  • Swimming together increases tendencies toward things like compassion, altruism, and conservancy.
  • Performing strenuous exercise while keeping your face underwater helps you tackle anxiety head on.
  • Swimming is a great meditative experience. It forces you to focus more and proves immediate feedback.
  • If you’ve smoked, swimming builds lung capacity. You learn to hold in more breath and hold it longer.
  • Swimming can help with chronic joint and back pain and improve your sleeping habits.
  • At lower paces, swimming can offer great low-impact exercise that helps with obesity and other setbacks.
  • At higher paces, swimming is an excellent exercise for cardiovascular and muscle strength.
  • Most importantly, swimming can help you develop a better lifestyle that supports your recovery.

Challenge

Apply to your life

Hit the pool or beach! Spend some time in the water. Go at your own pace. Invite some friends to splash around or do some laps around the pool if you’re up for it. Make a note of how you feel, both physically and emotionally. Try to make it a habit, whether alone or with others. Though, having people with you that can spur you on is better.

Credit where credit is due

Portions of this article were originally sourced from The Lakehouse Recovery Center, Rock Recovery Center, intheswim.com, and recoveryways.com. If you would like to check out additional recovery articles, videos, and podcast episodes, check us out at artisticrecovery.org.

Ty Walker

Ty Walker is a contract copywriter and graphic designer with a huge heart for recovery. He has spent the last five years serving churches and recovery communities with his creative skills. Ty spends his free time writing poetry and fictional short stories as well as hiking, biking, and kayaking with his wife, Angie, and his two daughters, Winter and Ember.

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Swimming together is actually found to increase tendencies toward things like compassion, altruism, and conservancy. This means that people who spend more time in water are more likely to take care of themselves and others.

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