Health Benefits Of Swimming For Fitness 

I headed over to the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC) on a Tuesday morning to have a chat with Julian Bolling about swimming for fitness. I was greeted with music on full blast over loud speakers and swimmers having fun in the pool. Julian and his team were just finishing their work out for the day. We then headed off to his office where he had his breakfast and we chatted more about swimming. 

Most of us do tend to start working out with the intention of losing weight and one of the first things he told me was that swimming may not be the best solution to do so. But it definitely helps with your fitness which is inclusive of improving your muscle strength and endurance. 

For a beginner especially an adult learning to swim can be a massive achievement and a confidence booster. Learning to swim correctly is the first thing to do. And at Rainbow Aquatics there are coaches that will assist you to do so. 

One of the main health benefits of swimming for fitness is that it works out your entire body at the same time as you have to swim against the resistance of the water. It is counted as both cardio and strength training. 

Unlike running or going to a gym to do cardio swimming is better for your body simply because it avoids any kind of joint related injuries. It relieves your body off its weight. So swimming is something you can do till the day you die without risking an injury. If you have any back pain or arthritis, swimming will help you get rid of the pain. 

“I swim for endurance and of course I enjoy it more than any other fitness programme. I also have a bad knee injury, so swimming helps me to stay fit.” - Anusha Hettiarachchi 

It also doesn’t affect as much if you have diabetes or high blood pressure or any other similar diseases. Whereas if you choose to go to a gym all of these conditions will affect your work out. Swimming is also a safer workout for pregnant mothers. 

Swimming helps to maintain a healthy heart and lungs and improves your cardiovascular fitness. You also learn to control your breathing. As a result it also helps those who have asthma. 

It helps you to improve your posture, balance and flexibility. It also helps with your stress levels. Exercise anyway releases endorphins and improve your stress levels but studies have found that being fully submerged in water helps more. 

Julian Bolling is the head coach and director of the Rainbow Academy. Their vision is to provide a wholesome swimming environment where the joy of participation is evident. They cater to everyone who loves to swim irrespective of standards and performance levels. 

“We have lots of fun here and of course we do it for fitness as well. But that is not it we also come here to socialize as we do share a coffee afterwards. It also helps to have each other for motivation and encouragement. Being in the water also helps you to stay cool in the sun.” – Maureen, Nicolet and Jo. 

At the Rainbow Academy there are classes for adults from 7:30AM to 8:30AM on weekdays and Sundays from 7:30PM to 8:30PM. Classes can also be arranged only for ladies separately. Classes for kids happen on weekday afternoons and on weekends in the mornings and evenings. 

Check their website www.bows.lk for more details and you can also call them on (011) 5339476 for more inquiries. 

By Jithendri Gomes 
Photographs by Samantha Perera