The Benefits of Swimming for Seniors in the Denver Area

At Visiting Angels, our quality home care services include encouraging seniors in Wheat Ridge and surrounding Colorado communities to swim on a regular basis because it provides so many benefits. Here's how swimming can positively impact your loved one's health and well-being.

Staying physically active becomes increasingly important as we age. If you are a family caregiver providing care for your mom or dad, consider talking to them about the benefits of swimming and water exercise. This can truly turn their life around.

How Can Swimming Benefit Seniors?

Here is how swimming can help your loved one:

• Achieve more with less – Thanks to the natural buoyancy of water, exercising in a pool is much easier on the age-worn joints of older adults than other senior-friendly regimens. This makes swimming ideal for those who struggle with arthritis, joint issues or obesity. For this reason, our quality home care services regularly include encouraging older adults to go swimming. For example, the indoor therapy pool at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in Denver can serve as stress-free exercise for seniors and provide relief for those who have arthritis, fibromyalgia and other conditions.
• Boost muscle tone – Another thing that makes swimming superior compared to other aerobic exercises is that it is a low-impact resistance training. For aging adults, this means that they can strengthen their muscles without straining themselves too much.
• Increase flexibility – In addition to toning the muscles, swimming can also greatly add to one's flexibility. When we swim, our body creates a wide range of motion that helps joints and ligaments to remain flexible.
• Improve heart health – As swimming has all the properties of an aerobic workout, one of its benefits includes strengthening the heart. Seniors who swim regularly can expect to improve their blood circulation, reduce blood pressure, and significantly lower the risk of developing heart disease.
• Maintain a healthy weight – It comes as no surprise that swimming is ideal for burning calories and maintaining a healthy weight. However, before opting to lose or gain weight, quality home care services suggest your loved one consults with their physician first.
• Reduce the symptoms of asthma – Because of dry air accumulating indoors, exercises in a regular gym can only worsen the symptoms of those with asthma. On the other hand, the moist air at the pool can be quite beneficial in avoiding asthma attacks and improving the chronic condition.
• Improve cholesterol levels – Getting enough exercise through water aerobics or swimming can also help your senior loved one keep their cholesterol in the right balance. Additionally, swimming and other aerobic exercises can make the arteries more flexible, reducing the risk of bad cholesterol clogging the arteries.
• Lower the risk of diabetes – As mentioned above, swimming reduces and controls weight gain, thus greatly decreasing the chances of developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
• Reduce stress levels – Aerobic exercises such as swimming release feel-good hormones called endorphins, known for increasing feelings of joy and happiness and reducing stress. Most people opt to reduce stress through yoga, Thai-chi or meditation. Nonetheless, any professional from quality home care services will recommend swimming or aqua aerobics as the best senior-friendly way to relax and reduce stress.
• Swimming can prolong your loved one's life – Last but certainly not least, swimming can literally help your parent live a longer, healthier life. According to a longitudinal study conducted at the University of South Carolina, those who swam regularly had a 50 percent lower death rate than those who ran, walked or led a sedentary lifestyle.

At Visiting Angels, we provide quality home care services that help seniors in the Denver area to lead active, fulfilled lives and stay independent for longer. We can accompany your loved one as they go swimming at the Wheat Ridge Recreational Center or at the many local outdoor pools in order to improve their overall well-being.

If you'd like to learn more about our services, contact our Wheat Ridge, CO office today!

Visiting Angels provides quality home care services for seniors in Arvada, Aurora, Denver, Glendale, Golden, Lakewood, Wheat Ridge and the surrounding areas of Colorado.