Benefits of lifeguard swimming
We have often heard that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of life-threatening diseases such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer. However, we don’t hear much about the importance of improving our sense of balance and how much we can do to prevent falls, especially in older age.
Recent research has shown that lifeguarding training swimming and water aerobics are the best exercises for improving balance. This is not so surprising. We all know that lifeguard swimming has mental and physical benefits, but a study found that swimming is the best way for seniors to improve their physical condition and sense of balance.
Lifeguard Swimming can help relieve pain from a previous fall and reduce the risk of falling. Read on to find out why!
First of all, let’s talk about water safety. If you cannot swim alone, do not go into the water alone. We recommend that you always go swimming with a friend, even if you are both excellent swimmers. A caregiver can also ensure the safety of the elderly person, help him get in and out of the pool, and support him on wet, slippery surfaces.
When you swim with someone, you only have to enjoy the benefits of lifeguard swimming and not worry about the dangers. If you always pay attention to safety, nothing can stop you!
Lifeguard Swimming and water exercise: why it’s the best choice for older adults?
We have known for many years that swimming is a beneficial sport, but finally some studies clearly state this. One, the American Journal of Epidemiology For example, a study published in , describes that lifeguard swimming and water exercises are the best form of physical exercise for the elderly to reduce the risk of falling, because it improves the sense of balance and strengthens the core muscles.
And a new study is the first to compare the types of exercise in terms of which one is best for preventing falls. Falls in the elderly and resulting injuries are becoming an important public health problem, as falls can sometimes result in the death of older adults, so improving the sense of balance becomes an important issue.
We fall more often than we might imagine, and in cases where when we don’t even expect it, for example during rest or housework. It’s not enough to just draw everyone’s attention, to move and develop their sense of balance – action is required! Swimming is the perfect form of exercise because it does not stress the muscles and joints like strength training. Learn more about how swimming and water exercise can improve your strength and flexibility.
Why is a simple walk not enough?
For older adults who have been cleared by their doctor for moderate exercise, swimming is the best way to strengthen the core muscles and lower body. However, the majority of older adults are somewhat limited in their mobility. Some people believe in functional walking, but it is not enough to strengthen the core muscles and develop balance.
Lifeguard Swimming creates strong, stable core muscles, which is essential for good balance – the most important element in preventing falls. Compared to walking, swimming is a much more complex motor activity. So even if you can’t swim, running or walking in water will provide enough resistance and you won’t even notice it, while your body is only carrying half its weight.
When you’re neck-deep in water, then you only need to maintain 10% of your body weight. The faster you go, the greater the resistance of the body and the greater the muscle strength. Swimming and water exercises are also the fastest way to improve the neuromotor response after an injury, for example.
Unlike other forms of exercise, lifeguard swimming does not stress the body and the risk of injury is low, making it an excellent choice for older adults who want to stay in shape and maintain their mental and psychological health.
How does swimming improve balance?
We often take our sense of balance for granted, and we don’t even realize that there is a problem with it until we start stumbling – the risk of falling is a serious problem for older adults. Broken bones, head injuries, and even minor injuries can seriously affect the ability to move and the quality of life, so it is worthwhile to deal with the sense of balance before it becomes a problem.
The study mentioned above also confirms that elderly people who swim are 33% less likely to fall than those who do not do any aquatic exercise. moreover, their body sway is also smaller, i.e. they are able to stand in one place for longer without moving their hips. However, as before any exercise, talk to your doctor first.
Swimming strengthens the muscles
What is it about water and lifeguard swimming that has such a beneficial effect on our body? As we age, muscle loss occurs and the body’s strength decreases. However, the resistance of the water is good for strengthening the muscles – it can have the same effect as lifting weights, but does not strain the muscles and joints.
Lifeguard Swimming also moves many more muscles at the same time, so it prevents muscle loss in almost the entire body, including the most important muscle of our body: our heart. Lifeguard Swimming also improves the capacity of the vascular system, i.e. our heart can pump more blood more efficiently.
Water aerobics reduces the risk of osteoporosis
Water aerobics is also a great way to get in the pool and get some exercise while you’re in company – the benefits of this have already been discussed.
