When injury strikes it can be extremely difficult and frustrating, especially for those of us that like to keep active. While the road to recovery can often be a long one, many people tend not to make the most of one of the best tools available when recovering, and that tool is swimming. Swimming is an ideal way to not only maintain or even build fitness when injured but it can also speed up your recovery time. In this blog, we’re going to paddle through five key areas that being in the pool can benefit you while you aid an injury.
Low Impact Exercise
Possibly the biggest draw of swimming when injured is the fact that it’s a low impact exercise. This is due to the buoyancy of the water which allows you to perform exercises while having less wear and tear on your muscles or joints. By reducing the stress on your body, you can participate in exercises that you simply wouldn’t be able to on dry land, particularly when you’re injured. This makes swimming an excellent substitute for plenty of other exercises such as running, cycling, weightlifting and so on.
Reduces Pain and Improves Circulation
Another key factor in using water or hydrotherapy when recovering from an injury is the ability it has to reduce pain and improve your blood circulation. Due to the natural pressure of the water on your body, it can reduce any swelling and particularly in warm water your circulation is greater. These two things can be massively beneficial when it comes to pain relief and allows you to feel more comfortable while keeping active. This also means that your muscle tissues receive vital nutrients because of the increased circulation, which in turn can aid in a faster recovery.
Builds Flexibility and Motion
One of the most common issues people have when coming back from an injury is the stiffness or reduced motion in the area of the body that was injured. However, by staying active in the pool during recovery, you can ensure that your flexibility remains in tacked in the affected areas. This is due to the fact that water does not have the same gravity restrictions as when you’re on land, meaning that your joints and muscles don’t endure the same impact. Even a short swim within your busy schedule can allow you to reap the benefits of this, especially if you focus your exercises on the affected areas.
Supports Mental Wellbeing
While an injury affects the body, it is important to look at the effect one can have on your mental health too, particularly if you are someone that is usually active. Injuries can suddenly impact your routine, your fitness goals, and much more, which can make them hugely difficult to comprehend, but that’s where swimming comes in to help. Not only does swimming allow you to actively recover while keeping you in line with your fitness goals, but swimming has been proven to reduce stress and have a positive impact on your mental wellbeing. Due to the nature of the movements of swimming as well as the focus on breathing, swimming helps you relax in the pool and improve your mood, which in turn puts less stress on the body, all while continuing on your recovery journey.
Active Recovery
Last, but certainly not least is the fact that swimming is the ideal method of active recovery whether that’s due to injury or on a rest day from the gym. Much like walking, swimming is a low impact exercise, as mentioned above, which allows your body to refuel and repair itself while still maintaining fitness. So, for people who are active by nature and have their fitness routine snatched away by injury, swimming is the perfect way to stay healthy as you recover. Not only that, but swimming is a full-body exercise that boosts elements of cardio health and strength training, meaning it might be something that not only gets you through injury rehab, but might be something you look to add to your routine in the long run.
Our Key Takeaways
There you have it, our top five reasons why swimming is an ideal way to boost your injury rehabilitation process. Whether it’s just simply to stay fit or to speed up your recovery, swimming has a positive impact on it all. Plus, it’s not only the physical side of things, as swimming has clear positives on mental wellbeing too. So, if you’re looking for the best way to recover from an injury, keep swimming in mind and who knows you might even look to introduce it to your fitness routine post recovery too due to its many benefits.
How Aura Leisure Can Help
At Aura Leisure, our state-of-the-art swimming pools are available for use to members and on a pay as you go basis, making it easily accessible for anyone recovering from an injury. While for those looking to build strength, flexibility and have some fun, our Aura Aqua Aerobics classes are exactly what you’re looking for. If you enjoy swimming as you recover and want to add it to your routine in the long run, we also have adult swim lessons that cater for people of all ages as well as swimming ability. Even better still, by becoming a member you get access to our pool, fitness classes, gym, personalised fitness programmes and much more for no extra cost.