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Is Swimming Good for Back Pain? The Science Behind It

Last updated on March 13th, 2023 at 02:30 am

Swimming is the best low-impact exercise that provides aerobic and cardio benefits. It helps to improve your cardiovascular health, muscle strength, stability, endurance, and stamina. Swimmers should take care to maintain proper form to avoid injuries or strains. Water activities are also an excellent way to stay cool during hot weather.

Many people don’t know that swimming is good for back pain. This article is for those who want to know about the benefits of swimming. ‍Suppose you want to know about the swimming exercise that prevents many injuries and provides lots of benefits. Stay tuned and learn more!

Health benefits of swimming

The Health benefits of swimming are endless! Many health benefits are provided by swimming exercise. Swimming is good for back pain also. We are going to discuss some health benefits of swimming.

Improve your total body fitness

There are very few exercises that give total body walkout benefits: elliptical machines, rowing machines, and swimming. You can quickly boost your whole body fitness simply by doing these activities.

Weight loss

Weight loss is very challenging for those who have higher body weights. If you are doing all of the exercises but don’t get any good results, swimming is suitable. According to different weight loss research, a 160-pound man can burn more than 400 to 450 calories an hour of slow-speed swimming. At the same time, the same person can burn more than 700 to 800 calories by using high-intensity swimming.

Improve muscle density

Swimming can be an easy way to improve muscle density because it does not require any equipment. You can strengthen your muscles by exercising every day without any significant equipment.

Cardiovascular fitness

I hope you know that swimming is the best low-impact workout that helps to improve your cardiovascular fitness. This workout has included the heart, lungs, and blood circulation system. It is tested that running, swimming, and biking will develop your better cardiovascular health.

Lifelong exercise

Do you know which type of exercise is suitable for any age? The answer is swimming, and it is the best and most appropriate activity for any aged person. Many types of exercise may be challenging to perform by older people, but it is easy and effective for any aged person.

Is swimming good for back pain and sciatica?

Typically, sciatica refers to pain affecting your hips and buttocks through the lower abdomen to the legs. It works to aid your back pain and affects other parts of your body. Swimming is the best form of exercise that can prevent your back pain from sciatic. The water provides buoyancy, which means you can move your limbs without putting a lot of pressure on your joints. If you do this exercise regularly, you will be safe from back pain and sciatic pain.

Is swimming good for middle back pain?

It is one of the best ways to reduce pain in your middle body parts. Because it is an excellent low-impact workout that helps prevent middle back pain. When you go into the water for an exercise, it supports your body’s flexibility and reduces the pain in your joints and spine, which helps to increase your speed. If you follow and do these activities, you will prevent moderate back pain for a long time.

Is swimming good for back disc pain?

A herniated disc is a part that can occur in any part of your spine and helps to irritate the nerves around the body. For the solution, many specialists recommend that swimming is one way that prevents this problem without using any equipment and doing surgery.

Is swimming good for pregnancy back pain?

Pregnancy is one of the parts of a woman’s life. During this period, many women feel back pain problems, but they can’t take any medicine or do any exercise. As a fitness advisor, I have the best way to reduce this pain, and the name is floating activities. Because it is the best way to do low-impact workouts throughout all three trimesters of your pregnancy, it is not only a low-impact workout but also helps work your arms, legs, and muscle. At the same time, swimming during pregnancy plays an effective role in relieving ligament pain and preventing back strain.

Is swimming in cold water good for back pain?

Many may wonder what cold water has to do with back pain. For them, cold water is an excellent way to reduce your pain permanently. Many people suffer constant pain after surgery; for them, cold open water removes the pain problem. According to the doctor, cold water swimming may offer an alternative way to cure solid painkillers and physiotherapy. So, if you feel pain after your surgery, it would be an excellent solution for you.

How do I prevent lower back pain when swimming?

Many people think about how do I prevent lower back pain when swimming. Generally, a few ways to control your back pain problem from swimming. We will discuss some of them below!

  • It is essential to use the correct form for the front stroke, such as crawl or breaststroke, keep your body level in the water while swimming and keep your head straight instead of lifting.
  • If you prefer to swim with a side or backstroke instead of a front stroke, you can do so.
  • Remember to turn the body to the side and keep the chin inside instead of shaking the head backward to reduce the watch’s movement while swimming.
  • You can use a snorkel to eliminate the need for the head to breathe better.
  • You can use a pair of goggles to keep your eyes out of the water.

Swimming Vs. running calories burning comparison

Although swimming and running exercises can burn enough calories, we are going to differentiate two major calorie-burning exercises below:

Using these methods, you can reduce your pain without taking any medicine. I hope you can follow swimming techniques for back pain during activities.

Activity NameActivity Time125 Pounds (Burn)155 Pounds (burn)185 Pounds (Burn)
Swimming Slow pace30 min180223266
Swimming High Pace30 min300372444
Running 5 MPH12 min240298355
Running 7.5 MPH8 min370465555

Is swimming good for back pain FAQS

Can swimming make back pain worse?

Swimming is an excellent form of exercise for people with back pain, but it can also exacerbate it if the pain is caused by instability in the spine. Although swimming is a good workout for this case, It’s essential to speak to your doctor about what type of exercise will work best for you.

Is it good to swim with acute lower back pain?

It is not recommended to swim with acute lower back pain. If you are experiencing chronic lower back pain, exercise should be avoided. Swimming may worsen the symptoms of low back pain and lead to injury.

What exercises should I avoid with back pain?

There are several exercises that individuals with back pain should avoid. This includes high-impact exercises such as running and jumping, which can cause further injury to a weakened back. Low-impact exercises such as walking, swimming, and biking are better options for those with back pain.

Summary

Swimming can be an effective form of exercise. It is a great lower body and core exercise because it is horizontal, and your weight is evenly distributed on both sides. It can also help improve endurance, muscle tone, and muscle strength. Is swimming good for back pain reviews? We will try to discuss this topic in detail. We hope you will be benefited from following these reviews properly.