HEALTH TIPS & GUIDES

Swimming or Running: Which one is Better Exercise

A person should stay healthy whether it is by swimming or running. To have a healthy life a person should exercise everyday, and stay fit. This can be done either by swimming or running.  They both are entirely different exercises but are beneficial to the body in any case. Running is healthier for the development of lower portion of the body whereas swimming is healthier for the development of the upper part of the body. Let us now read below about benefits of swimming and running as well.

Let us first consider the case of running. Running is a way by which animals and humans can move on their foot. Running causes the movement of the lower portion of the body that is legs; it is executed by a sequence of strides. Both the legs have their individual strides which alternate between both the legs. Each leg’s stride can be divided into three states which are support, drive and recovery. Support and drive happens to occur while running when the foot happens to be in contact with the ground. Recovery occurs while running when the foot is off the ground. During the process of running ,always one foot is off the ground and the other foot is on the ground , so always when one foot is in the support and drive state , the other foot is in the recovery state.

In the support state, the foot is in direct contact with the ground and the body’s centre of mass lies in the lower abdominal area between the hips. This state supports the state against gravity.
In the drive state only the toe is in contact with the body, so the leg starts trailing behind the body, in this position.
As soon as the toe looses contact with the ground, it is the beginning of the recovery state.

Let us now consider the case of swimming. Swimming is the movement of body of humans, animals or birds in water. In some cases swimming becomes a necessity, as in the case of water inhabitants and in the other case as in humans, it can be for exercising or an occupation and also for fun.

The most common form of swimming is recreational swimming, wherein people can relax, exercise or have a workout. There are many different positions of swimming like breast stroke, front stroke, butterfly stroke front crawl and dog paddle. People do these strokes in order to remain fit and healthy.

There is a term known as occupational swimming as well in which the swimmers or divers are appointed to save the lives of the distressed swimmers. They also act as lifeguards in case of emergency when somebody is drowning.
There are many risks of swimming as well like drowning, heart attacks, shallow water blackouts, breathing problem due to lack of dissolved oxygen.

Hence from the above discussion we can compare the two exercises: running and swimming. Water offers more resistance to the body while swimming then air while running. So swimming is much more demanding then running, hence there is more loss of energy in the swimming.
Also while swimming upper body muscles and arms are developed and by running legs are developed. So the stamina is increased by both the forms of exercises.