Swimming is far more than just a sport - reasons why I love swimming?

My father first put me in swimming lessons when I was five years old. In the post-soviet-time extracurricular after-school activities were a must for every child. You either had to learn a musical instrument or do sport. Some children were doing even both.

Those activities were usually chosen by parents. My father chose swimming for me. I didn’t fall in love with swimming the first time I got into the water. To be honest, I don’t even remember my first swimming session. Reflecting back, I would say I was very neutral to water activities and I felt it more like my duty to visit swimming lessons. Later, I joined our local swimming club and became competitive swimmer participating in numerous national and international competitions. These were the glory days of my youth: morning and evening practices, balancing between school and trainings, the smell of chlorine bond to my skin, red eyes, itchy bumps and dry hair like a straw. Deep in my soul, I wasn’t training for competition, I was training for life. In fact, I enjoyed the essence of fluent and elegant swimming rather than maximising my front crawl stroke. I loved the feeling of being fully encircled by water and push myself towards new perfection and dynamic. I finished my competitive swimming career a few months shy of my high school graduation. I left everything behind and moved to Switzerland due to my studies at University. Despite of this fact I was bonded with swimming forever. Maybe it was just the feeling of nostalgia or simply reminiscence that brought me back to the swimming pool. During my student years I had the chance to explore my side interests and I came back to swimming again. I figured out that most of all I like swimming on my own. I enjoy peace and freedom that I have being in water. No rules, no pressure… When I get tired, I stop. When I feel I want to improve my endurance, I focus on strength-training exercises. If I realize that I have indulged a little too much during last weekend, I take kickboard and enhance my leg exercises in water. When I am lazy, I just float. Swimming is like universal therapy that I use against all sorts of scourges. My love for swimming and water activities that I have now, has developed in the past years. This is why I love swimming:

• Being in water feels like a weight being lifted off you

• It is the best full-body physical activity. It increases overall body fitness, strengthens body and increases muscular flexibility. Your breath works actively what is the best thing for cardio workout

• It is a great thing to stay in shape. Only swimming helps me to achieve smooth, flat tummy without a six pack, to tone my muscles and make my skin look tighter. After water activities I always feel a pleasant stretch in my entire body.

• Swimming is a great exercise for back and spine. Swimming during and after pregnancy helped me to avoid typical “mom posture” which usually consists of rounded shoulders and a forward head position 😊

• Swimming is an ultimate moving meditation. It is great breathing and concentration exercise which develops mental strength. After swimming session, I always have sharp and healthy mind.

• I am always focusing on perfecting my swimming-skills. By combining different exercises in the water, I try to involve more muscle groups at once. I enjoy the feeling of being confident in my body.

• I love to feel the dynamic of water and to slide smoothly with a grace: reaching and extending…

• Regular swimming exercises helped me to recover quickly in postpartum period.

• After my first pregnancy I joined baby swimming lessons with my daughter which positively affected my physical, mental and emotional rehabilitation

• Only in swimming pool I can escape my everyday tasks of motherhood.

These are probably just few of the endless reasons why I swim 😉

Tags: Sport Swimming Swim watersports water exercises swimming pool full-body activity cardio workout flat tummy active brathing recover therapy