Health Benefits of Water-based Exercise | Healthy Swimming | Healthy Water

Swimming is the fourth most popular sports activity in the United States and a good way to get regular aerobic physical activity ¹. Just two and a half hours per week of aerobic physical activity, such as swimming, bicycling, or running, can decrease the risk of chronic illnesses ^2,3. This can also lead to improved health for people with diabetes and heart disease ². Swimmers have about half the risk of death compared with inactive people ³. People report enjoying water-based exercise more than exercising on land ⁴. They can also exercise longer in water than on land without increased effort or joint or muscle pain ^5,6.