Swimming is a popular activity around the globe for people of all ages and fitness abilities. In fact, given it reduces the risk of musculoskeletal issues, it's a safe form of exercise for most people.
Aside from its cardiovascular benefits, a study by Swim England found that swimming can lower the risk of early death, and partaking in the sport helps people to stay both mentally and physically fit. The same report found swimming to have a positive impact on anyone suffering from joint and muscle problems, given the "weightlessness" of the body in the water.
Other benefits of swimming include:
There are two types of recovery. Passive, which is a total rest from exercise, and active, where you engage in a form of low-intensity exercise. By definition, active recovery is a technique of performing lighter activity than your usual workout (such as swimming or jogging) with the aim to enhance recovery.
Active recovery is important for a number of reasons, including reducing fatigue, improving blood flow to the muscles and joints for better recovery, and stopping you from overtraining. Quite often, active recovery takes place right after a workout during the cool-down phase, such as a slow jog following a run. This can even incorporate techniques such as massage and self-myofascial release using foam rollers.
Given its suitability for most populations, swimming is an optimal sport for active recovery days. "Swimming is an excellent form of active recovery as you can move with ease on your front or back, maintaining a horizontal flow for blood to reach the upper body more efficiently," explains Zvika Zelinger, a leading Israeli swim trainer and public speaker.
A study on 21 swimmers who completed a series of swimming drills found that active post-recuperation exercises increased the rate of blood lactate dissipation, meaning the physical performance of swimmers was improved.
These active recovery sessions allow the body time to clear the lactic acid, a byproduct of your body converting glucose into energy, helping us recover quicker.
Another study focused on 11 competitive swimmers who performed two 100-meter maximal swim drills, followed by a 15-minute interval of either: 15-minutes passive recovery; a combined 5-minute active and 10-minute passive recovery; or a 10-minute active and 5-minute passive recovery.
The main finding is that a 5-minute active recovery, followed by 10 minutes of passive recovery, improved their performance, concluding that active recovery for five minutes is adequate to reduce blood lactate concentration and positively affect subsequent performance.
“The benefits of a swim recovery include a low impact exercise for the whole body, with multiple ways to move all muscle groups and joints that you may not be able to do on land,” says Terry Fritch, Head Coach of Life Time Swim of North Carolina.
“Water provides a buoyancy factor that provides movement to workout that can be less stressful on the body, and you can better control your heart rate to potentially exercise for a longer period of time.”
The 11 Best Swimming Goggles of 2021Here is some key terminology when discussing swim workouts:
What to Expect: This 20-minute active recovery workout includes a warm-up, a workout, and a cool-down.
Repeat twice:
Complete twice:
Keep one arm in front, touching the ear, and the other arm near the thigh for a better axis rotation as you swim.
Followed by:
What to Expect: This 20-minute active recovery workout is suitable for experienced swimmers. It includes a warm-up, a workout, and a cool-down.
Swim easy, calm, and steady, even when you’re short on air.
Complete twice:
Followed by:
Stretch as much as you can while holding a streamlined position with pointed feet and extended shoulders.