When you suffer from pain anywhere in your back, you may find it difficult to carry out any kind of physical activity. Despite your pain, however, your doctor may tell you to exercise rather than lie down and rest. Swimming may be an ideal activity for you to engage in because it is known to offer back pain sufferers these unique benefits.
Low-Impact Strength Training
When the muscles in your back are weak, you put yourself at risk of suffering painful strains and injuries more often. Swimming can help you build strength in your back because the water offers low-impact resistance as you exercise. After swimming for a half hour each day, you may find that your back is stronger and that you do not experience frequent bouts of pain.
Stretching and Flexibility
When you swim, you are able to exercise without gravity limiting your range of motion. As you move around in the water, you may notice that you are more flexible and that you do not experience pain like you would during other forms of exercise. Swimming actually combines stretching with exercising, which in itself can help relieve pain and stiffness in your back muscles.
Relaxation
It is important that you rest when you suffer from frequent back pain. When you swim, you may find that it is easier for you to relax than if you were to simply rest in bed or on a sofa at home. Water tends to have a soothing effect on people who suffer from chronic pain. When you want to find fast pain relief while also enjoying a relaxing activity, you may find both when you take up swimming.
Recreation
Exercising should be fun and something to which you look forward each day. You already must deal with back pain. You do not want to add the dread of exercising to your daily routine. Swimming by all accounts can be one of the funnest and most invigorating exercises you can undertake during your back pain recovery. You may find that you can take your time swimming across the pool and that you do not have to hustle to keep up a set pace like you would with a weightlifting or aerobics class.
Suffering from back pain on a daily basis makes you want to spend hours resting and avoiding exercising. You may recover faster and more thoroughly, however, by swimming to build strength and resistance in your back.