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Practicing any type of sport, in addition to helping us take care of our health and stay in shape, also brings us great benefits on a mental level, especially because it helps us keep stress at bay.
However, among the different physical activities that we can perform, some provide us with greater psychological well-being than others, as is the case with swimming, not only because of the exercise itself, but because if we practice it in warm water, the effects relaxants from the activity we do increase, in addition to other psychological benefits that this sport gives us. Next we will talk about the psychological benefits of swimming.
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- Improve decision making
- Improve our social life
Lower stress levels
In the first place, it helps us to regulate our stress level, both due to physical activity and the fact that when practicing it we must breathe in a controlled and relaxed way, which immediately helps to relax our entire nervous system, such as when we do some kind of relaxation breathing exercise.
Improve decision making
This reduction in the level of anxiety can increase if we turn the practice of swimming into a meditation exercise for a few minutes. To do this, we will swim in a smooth and relaxed way, almost floating, without exerting any tension on our muscles, while we focus on our breathing or the rhythm of our heartbeat. This little meditation, in addition to balancing our mood, also helps us to increase our confidence in ourselves, especially when it comes to making decisions.
Improve our social life
It is also an activity that we carry out in the company of other people, becoming a social activity that will help reduce our shyness and facilitate our interaction with others, especially if we join a training class or group.
Finally, you don't have to be Michael Phelps. Simply by getting into the water, you will be able to notice the benefits that this activity provides for your mind.
This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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