Benefits of swimming during pregnancy

Low impact and gentle on your body – The water keeps you from overheating and prevents injury by supporting your joints and ligaments as you exercise, which is especially helpful for mums-to-be with round ligament pain. The buoyancy of the water also decreases the strain on your back and allows you to feel almost weightless.

Relieves ankle and foot swelling – Submersing your limbs in water helps push the fluids from your tissues back into your veins. It also boosts your circulation, which keeps blood from pooling in the lower limbs.

Reduces morning sickness – Many women who suffer from morning sickness report that swimming provides relief. Whether there’s a physiological response to the movement or the sense of relaxation that the water brings, there’s something about swimming that seems to help a lot of women feel better.

Cool water prevents overheating – Your breathing rate increases when pregnant which means you start sweating at a lower level of exertion – this is one of the body’s many adaptation mechanisms to protect the foetus from overheating. If you find this unpleasant then swimming is a great option to help cool off.

It’s a full body workout – If you have limited time and want to simplify your exercise routine to focus on one sport that will boost your all-around fitness, swimming ticks all the boxes. It provides a full-body workout using all the major muscle groups, which can help you keep your weight within a healthy range. It increases your endurance and your recovery capacity, and it strengthens your heart and improves your circulation. Just what the doctor ordered!

Source: https://www.swimfreak.co.uk/blog/exercise/swimming-benefits-for-pregnancy/