For 2019, Swim England’s Love Swimming campaign is focusing on the innumerable benefits that swimming can have on our health, from helping with weight loss, joint pain and the ravaging effects of arthritis, type 2 diabetes and asthma, among other health problems. This is how Steve learned to Love Swimming.
Steve had been living in denial. Despite being significantly overweight, he was certain that none of the potential health issues that his weight could increase his risks of contracting would ever affect him, despite his self-confessed “appalling” physical condition. Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Poor Health
First came the Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis, which had a real effect on his life, but still he decided against doing anything about his weight, sticking to the same lifestyle he always had, telling himself that he’d get to it someday, putting off the inevitable, as it were. It was only when things became really serious and he suffered from a stroke, however, that he decided he needed to make changes.
As such, his doctors advised him to take up swimming as the water supports a significant proportion of the body’s weight, meaning less stress is put through joints compared to walking or running, but it still provides excellent aerobic exercise, which is vital for weight loss.
Overcoming Fears
Steve was nervous about taking up swimming to begin with. Worried that his fellow swimmers would notice his size, he entered the swimming pool for the first time with trepidation. He needn’t have been concerned, however, as his fears did not come to pass. Nobody stopped, nobody stared, everyone just carried on with their swim.
How Love Swimming Turned Steve’s Life Around
Swimming regularly helped Steve in so many ways, physically, mentally and socially and the benefits he felt are simply enormous. Although he admits that there’s still a long way to go in terms of his weight loss, swimming has helped him lose a significant amount of weight already.
An additional benefit of exercising and the weight loss that has come with it is that it has also helped him take better control of his type 2 diabetes. Steve’s only regret is that he wishes he’d started doing this many years previously, as it could have saved his health.
He says “if I could give anybody advice, please try and introduce some exercise into your life. Knock down those barriers that might be there. It’ll be the best decision you’ve made.”
So, why don’t you learn to Love Swimming and see how it can benefit you?