Swimming and running are not only common exercises in the gym, but also the forms of exercise chosen by many people who do not go to the gym. As two representatives of cardiovascular exercise, they play an important role in maintaining overall physical and mental health, and are both effective exercises for burning calories and fat.
What are the benefits of swimming?
1、Swimming is suitable for people with injuries, arthritis and other diseases. Swimming is a safe exercise option for most people who suffer from, for example, arthritis, injury, disability. Swimming can even help relieve some pain or improve recovery after an injury.
2、Improve sleep. In a study of older adults with insomnia, participants reported improved quality of life and sleep after regular aerobic exercise. The study focused on all types of aerobic exercise, including elliptical machines, cycling, swimming and more. Swimming is suitable for many people who have physical problems that prevent them from running or doing other aerobic exercises.
3、When swimming, water makes the limbs buoyant, helping to support them during movement, and it also provides gentle resistance. In one study from a trusted source, a 20-week swimming program significantly reduced pain in people with multiple sclerosis. They also reported improvements in fatigue, depression and disability.
What are the benefits of running?
1、Easy to use. Compared to swimming, running is easier to learn because it is something we are born with. Even learning professional skills before running is much easier than learning to swim, because some people may be born afraid of water. In addition, running has lower requirements on the environment and venue than swimming.
Running can improve the health of your knees and back. Many people think that running is an impact sport that is bad for the joints. And it's true that some runners have had to switch to cycling because of knee pain. But on average, sedentary, out-of-shape adults had worse knee and back problems than most runners.
2、Improve immunity. David Nieman, an exercise scientist and 58-time marathoner, has spent the last 40 years studying the link between exercise and immunity. Most of what he found was very good news and some caveats, while also looking at the effects of diet on runners' immune status. His summary: Moderate exercise can boost immunity, ultra-endurance efforts can lower immunity (at least until you're fully recovered), and dark red/blue/black berries can help keep your body strong and healthy.
3、Improve mental health and reduce depression. Many people start running to improve their physical fitness, but before long, the reason that drives them to continue running becomes to enjoy the feeling of running
4、Lower blood pressure. Running and other moderate exercise is a proven, drug-independent way to lower blood pressure.
Something to consider before swimming or running
Both swimming and running provide a great cardiovascular workout and, ideally, switching between the two regularly will reap the best benefits. However, many times, the ideal situation is often different due to personal preferences, health conditions and lifestyle factors. Here's what you should consider before trying to swim or run.
1、Do you have joint pain? If you suffer from arthritis or other types of joint pain, swimming is better for you than running. Swimming puts less stress on the joints, is a milder form of exercise and is less likely to exacerbate joint problems.
2、Do you have any lower limb injuries? If you have a knee, ankle, hip or back injury, swimming is obviously the safer option because it has less impact on the joints.
3、Do you have a shoulder injury? Swimming requires repeated strokes, and if you have a shoulder injury, this can cause irritation and make the injury worse. In this case, running is a better option.
4、Do you want to improve bone health? By adding weight to your calves and backpack, you can turn a simple run into a bone-healthy weight-bearing run that will certainly slow down, but won't lose any of its benefits. In contrast, swimming cannot do this.
Post time: Aug-19-2024
