The Crucial Role of Strength and Mobility for Adult Swimmers

Unlocking our full potential: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Swimming, Strength, and Mobility for us Adults

Happy Sunday everyone!

I trust you are having a nice and relaxing long Labor Day weekend.

This is particularly true for our USA swimmers. As a person who has spent years in many countries around the world, if I am not mistaken, only the US celebrates Labor Day in September, and not on May 1st.

As the title suggests, I want to dedicate today’s article to explaining why I advocate for Strength and Mobility workouts as the perfect complement to swimming.

You already know me. I will always be biased toward swimming, however, as an adult swimmer myself and a swimming coach for many years, I learned to accept that swimming has some gaps when it comes to the ability to allow me to live, and swim, for as long as my health allows me to.

Since I published my personal workout weekly schedule a couple of months ago, I received numerous emails from people asking the same question: Why do you spend time in the gym when you could swim for free every day?

Let’s dig in.

My grandmother died 1 year after she fell from a 2-step ladder while watering some plants. She was 72. She didn’t die from the accident itself. What happened was that she fell and broke her hip and knee, which required surgery. Since then, she couldn’t really move anymore, and that started a slow but unstoppable process of bone and muscle weakness and degeneration. In 1 year with almost no movement, she aged incredibly fast, until she passed peacefully.

See, at the time of the fall her joints and leg muscles were not capable of dealing with her own weight, even from that low height. That is the primary reason the doctor provided for the fractures.

My apologies for the tragic paragraph, but it is what it is. My point is, that we can prevent that from happening to us.

Let’s stop with the stories and start with the science.

As we age, maintaining our physical health and well-being becomes an increasingly important aspect of our lives. For older adults, especially those who are avid (only) swimmers, the importance of incorporating strength and mobility exercises into their fitness routines cannot be overstated.

While swimming is undoubtedly an excellent form of exercise, its low-impact nature, which is always celebrated, can potentially become a hindrance as we age. Today’s article provides a deep dive into the significance of strength and mobility for adult swimmers, highlighting how solely relying on swimming may not provide the holistic fitness needed to age gracefully.

Why Swimming is Almost the Perfect Sport

Swimming has long been a popular choice for maintaining fitness and promoting overall well-being, especially for adults. Its low-impact and non-weight-bearing nature makes it particularly appealing to those with joint issues or arthritis. Moreover, the buoyancy of water reduces the risk of injury, making it a safe choice for literally anyone.

As adults continue to embrace swimming as a lifelong activity, it is essential to recognize its unique benefits while also acknowledging its limitations.

The Limitations of Swimming as Your Only Fitness Activity

While swimming offers numerous advantages, it primarily focuses on cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance. It engages almost every single muscle group in our body and promotes cardiovascular health, but it may not be sufficient for addressing critical aspects of aging, such as muscle loss, bone density decline, and joint flexibility reduction.

Muscle loss, bone density decline, and joint flexibility reduction are natural processes that occur as a part of the aging process, but the onset and rate of these changes can vary among individuals. Here's a general overview based on scientific research:

1. Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia): Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, typically begins around the age of 30. Research suggests that adults can lose approximately 3-5% of muscle mass per decade after the age of 30. However, the rate of muscle loss may accelerate after the age of 60.

2. Bone Density Decline (Osteoporosis): Bone density tends to peak in the late 20s or early 30s, after which there is a gradual decline. Women are at a higher risk of significant bone density loss during menopause due to hormonal changes. While bone density decline can vary, osteoporosis, a severe form of bone density loss, often becomes a concern for many individuals in their 50s and older.

3. Joint Flexibility Reduction: Joint flexibility can start to decline as early as the late 20s or early 30s, but noticeable changes often become more apparent in the 40s and beyond. Joint flexibility tends to decrease gradually, and it can be influenced by factors such as physical activity levels, genetics, and joint health.

And here is the ugly truth. As a low-gravity, low-impact exercise, swimming may inadvertently lead to a lack of strength and mobility if not complemented with appropriate land-based exercises.

And now the good news. We can decelerate the natural declining process with Strength and Mobility exercises as a complement to swimming. In addition, good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle in general provide additional support.

Here is what we need:

Swimming is one of the best cardiovascular sports due to its low-impact nature.

and…

Strength and Mobility, protect us from the natural decline of muscle, joints, and mobility.

Let’s dig deeper below with the help of experts and scientific studies.

The Role of Strength Training as the Perfect Complement to Swimming. Our Approach and Methodology for the Tuesdays and Thursdays Strength and Mobility Workouts.