Have you ever wondered what’s the best workout for you? Maybe you’re thinking about a quick run or a nice swim. Both are excellent forms of exercise, but depending upon your abilities, swimming may be better. Take your time to reconsider. You’re in control, you’re feeling good, and you’re getting your workout without beating your body to the ground—literally. Swimming isn’t just a good way to cool off on hot summer afternoons; it’s a total body exercise king or queen of comprehensive workouts that leans toward low impact and fun. Nine reasons why swimming is better than running come from bodily potential, mental health, and general accessibility. If you’re a novice or an expert, you’re in the right place to find out why making your way to the pool is your best bet. So put your swim cap on as we get ready to dive into the depths of swimming vs. running.
1. Full-Body Workout
Swimming gives you a full-body workout. While you swim, your arms are pulling you through the water, legs are engaged kicking and the core is stable. Every stroke works your shoulders, back, chest, and even accessory muscles that you might take for granted that don’t work when they’re not needed during the physical exercise of running. Running is largely a lower body engagement workout focused on driving energy through the legs and lower body. Swimming’s natural range of motion works to propel you through space simultaneously engaging all muscle groups against the resistance of water.
Think about it. When you’re running, your arms are just swinging; they’re not working as hard. But in the pool, everything is moving. Whether you’re doing freestyle, backstroke or breaststroke, you’re offering a challenge across all muscle groups, arguably making it the most comprehensive athletic endeavor one can pursue. In addition, the water is resistance, so it’s automatic strength training without weights and equipment. It’s essentially doing one thing while the other becomes intertwined.
2. Low Impact on Joints
This is why many people avoid running in favor of swimming. Running is impact—constant impact. Every time a foot hits the ground, it sends a shockwave up through the ankle, knee and hip joints. After a period—or shorter than you’d expect—this gets uncomfortable. This is true for those post-injury recovery or joint issues. Swimming is low impact. The water holds your body weight, relieving stress on bones and joints, almost rendering one weightless, meaning the same activity can be achieved without concern for body breakdown.
Ever get off a long run and feel bruised and battered? That’s your body telling you it’s done too much. With swimming, it’s possible to feel nothing and do just as hard work as necessary. Swimming is ideal for someone with arthritis or bad knees or anyone who just wants to continue the exercise without injury. But even if you’re in great, running condition, swimming allows you to challenge yourself without the impact of running.
3. Better for Heart Health
Swimming is a cardiovascular workout, as it keeps your heart racing and involves breath control. Since swimming is fluid, your heart is engaged, doing the necessary work for sustained activity, all of continuous movement. When you run, for example, you might stop after a few minutes to catch your breath or take a short walk to alleviate leg fatigue. However, when you’re swimming, you’re less likely to stop mid-lap; you’re more inclined to push through as you’re in an established flow.
In addition, water acts as resistance, meaning the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body and improve circulation and stamina. In addition, many popular strokes require breath patterns—inhaling and exhaling at designated times—that can increase overall lung capability and breathing efficiency. Therefore, if you’re someone who’s getting winded all too easily these days, swimming may be the solution to your increased breath control over time.
4. Cooling and Comfortable
Let’s be honest—running in hot temperatures is awful. Sweating profusely, feeling overheated, struggling with sunburns puts your body in an uncomfortable state. However, because swimming is done in water, you remain cool and comfortable. Water keeps your body temperature consistent and manageable, even when a workout is intensive. It can be a muggy day in July or a brisk morning in April, and still, the pool or ocean is always welcoming.
Ever tried running in the heat? Humidity is sticky. Yet in a pool, you’re surrounded by cool water, and thus, exercising doesn’t feel difficult—as exhausting—for as long. You can work out for extended periods without sweating fatigue, not having to worry about chafing or clothing sticking to places it shouldn’t. You’re not distracted by the elements when working out in the water.
5. Less Chance of Injury
Runners get injured. Shin splints, stress fractures, twisted ankles—it’s all part of the game when pounding pavement. Whether it’s an unpaved road, a broken sidewalk, or simply pushing too hard, many things cause income runners and downtime. But swimming is less likely to injuries runners. With water cushioning every movement, there’s no jarring impact that can lead to injury, and slipping or tripping in water is nearly impossible (after finding your footing).
Plus, even if someone isn’t an injury-prone trained fitness person, swimming avoids injuries from overuse. Runners consistently injure themselves through overuse because their legs are always under repetitive stress. With swimming, however, one works the entire body; no single muscle group is worked too much. If you’ve ever had to sit out on an exercise because of a sore knee or pulled muscle, swimming may be the key to comfortable exercise without painful interludes from your regimen.
6. Mental Health Benefits
Exercise benefits the brain as well, but swimming helps alleviate mental health issues more than other exercises. Water is agnostic; there’s something calming about being immersed and moving. When you’re running, for example, there are no distractions of other joggers, cars, or obstacles or sounds; swimming allows you to literally stay in your head. You’re in the water, and that’s all. Doesn’t that sound nice?
Swimmers report less stress and anxiety because swimming fosters this mindful approach to movement. Stroke by stroke, breath by breath, it’s meditative and allows thoughts to clear. Swimmers emerge from the water often feeling rejuvenated and not nearly as stressed as they were prior. Therefore, for those who find running stressful, whether for physical or mental concerns, swimming is a nice substitute that can elevate mood.
7. Available for All Ages and Skill Levels
Swimming is available for anyone. Young and old, inexperienced and skilled all can enter the pool. No one should feel out of shape to swim; swimming is about getting in the water and going at your pace. Unlike running—something that can be a little trickier if you have to be in shape or can get yourself started—someone with less physical ability might find it challenging to run. But anyone can get in the water—whether gentle laps or aqua aerobics or even walking in the shallow end.
Have you ever noticed that children, adults and the elderly can all share the same swim space? This is because swimming is a universal sport. If you have an injury or are not able to go fully at your potential, you can receive quite the workout without necessarily overexerting yourself. Public pools usually come equipped with ramps and lifts so that anyone and everyone can join in on the fun; this is not the case with running. Running appears daunting for someone who is not in shape or has difficulty ambulating.
8. Strokes and Changing Workouts
Finally, swimming is never the same thing over and over; there’s constant change. Running lends itself to pace and distance, but swimming can be done as freestyle, breastroke, sidestroke or butterfly—and each stroke impacts different parts of your body. Not to mention, aqua aerobics, treading and underwater workouts.
Have you ever gotten bored running the same route day in and day out? With swimming, a change of pace can just be a change in focus for the day; one day you can focus on speed, another on distance, one more on a certain stroke. Swimming allows for variation which not only keeps things interesting but also works different muscles so you don’t plateau.
9. A Social, Fun Environment
Swimming can also be social, which makes it more appealing to people versus running. Pools are community gathering spots where you see familiar faces and have lessons and opportunities for synchronized swimming and water polo. Running tends to take place on one’s own—in most cases, anyway—but a running club can be a good exception though it’s hard to socialize while you’re running.
For instance, you’re in a pool having a good time and doing laps and can strike up a conversation during breaks. Perhaps you join a swim club and make friends there. The atmosphere is generally more relaxed in the water than on the running course. Plus, swimming has the feel of play—even cannonballing or cannonballing or splashing or diving is fun, something running can’t do as easily. Who doesn’t love to cannonball?
Conclusion
In the end there are many reasons to choose swimming over running. Ultimately, it’s how swimming is better for your body, mind, and lifestyle than running. Swimming provides the full body workout and low-impact exercise that is less risky and injurious in any age group and any level of fitness. Swimming keeps you cool, decreases your stress and gives you variety to keep workouts interesting and challenging. For fitness needs, rehabilitation, or simply for fun, swimming can do it all, and it’s accessible, safe, and social.
Next time you’re torn between lacing up your sneakers or donning a swimsuit, choose the pool. Give swimming a try—it may be the low-impact running-esque option that keeps you in shape and feeling great. Go to your public pool and swim a few laps to see how you feel—you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. So what’s stopping you? Start swimming right now!