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There are many sports options that are recommended to help cure heart disease, including swimming. This sport is suitable for those of you who don’t feel comfortable doing hiking, running, or other strenuous exercise.
Swimming is an aerobic exercise that can strengthen the heart by making it more efficient at pumping which leads to better blood flow throughout the body.
Heart expert Erik Van Iterson also stated that this type of exercise is safe for people with heart problems.
The benefits of swimming to help cure heart disease
If you are currently undergoing cardiac rehabilitation, or have experienced a heart attack or heart failure, swimming is the right exercise choice.
Reported by the Cleveland Clinic, Van Iterson said that swimming can be well tolerated by people who are recovering from heart failure or coronary artery disease.
“Swimming uses many parts of the body with more emphasis on the upper body,” he said.
However, he also added that open heart surgery patients should not use swimming pools until all surgical incisions have healed properly.
When you swim regularly, in just a short time you will experience developments in your body which include:
- Increased blood pumped by the body
- Better use of oxygen in the body
- Decreased heart rate
- Improved blood pressure
- Smoother breathing
- Improved blood circulation
Van Iterson adds, if you have arthritis and are new to exercise, swimming can help your heart by putting less stress on your joints. This activity is compared to cycling or using a treadmill.
Swimming needs to be done lightly
If you have heart disease such as a heart attack or cardiac arrhythmia, start swimming slowly. There is no need to rush to do it with high intensity.
“If you’re a little more active, it will help your heart,” Van Iterson says.
Swimming for 30 minutes a day can reduce coronary heart disease in women by 30-40 percent. Regular aerobic exercise can also lower blood pressure.
Research also shows that aerobic exercise such as swimming can also keep the layer of cells lining the arteries flexible and in good condition.
Apart from swimming, you can also do other water sports such as water aerobics or walking in water. These two activities are also good for training heart health.
Other benefits of swimming for health
One of the biggest benefits of swimming is that it can train all parts of the body, from head to toe. Swimming can increase your heart rate without stressing the body, build muscle, build strength and build endurance.
This sport has various styles such as breaststroke, backstroke, butterfly or freestyle. Each style has uses for different muscle groups.
However, whatever stroke you do, you use most muscle groups to move your body in the water.
Swimming is also a good exercise choice for asthma sufferers. The humid environment of indoor swimming pools makes swimming a great activity for asthma sufferers.
Breathing exercises may also help expand your lung capacity and control your breathing.
To be safer, first discuss swimming activities with your doctor, OK? If conditions allow, do it gradually and according to your abilities.