Swimming as a remedy is effective for various curvature of the spine, osteochondrosis, posture defects and other problems with the spine. The healing property of swimming is based on the law of Archimedes: a body immersed in a liquid reduces its weight as much as the weight of the liquid displaced by it. For example, a person weighing 70 kg in water would only weigh approximately 3 kg. That is, in the water he is almost in a state of weightlessness. So let’s see what are the benefits of swimming for the health of the spine and other body systems.
The benefits of swimming
Swimming allows you to unload the spine and straighten the intervertebral discs.
Since in the water a person is almost in a state of weightlessness and weighs practically nothing, all the loads that squeeze the vertebrae and intervertebral discs are completely removed.
If a person is in the water (does not even swim, but just lies), his spine is completely unloaded, and the intervertebral discs are straightened (for 40 minutes in the water, growth even increases due to the straightening of the discs) and rest.

During swimming, the joints work with high amplitude.
Due to the absence of a compressive load, with any swimming method, all joints (including the joints of the spine) act with high amplitude in various planes. Therefore, a person can not only fully use his natural abilities, but also expand them by increasing the amplitude of movements.
So, if the mobility of the joints has decreased, then restoring the health of the spine, ease and range of motion in the water can be much easier and faster than on land.

Swimming is good for muscle training.
Swimming is great for building muscles. At the same time, with different methods of swimming, different muscle groups are trained. The benefit of swimming for the health of the spine in this case is that when moving in the water, a person constantly has to keep balance, so the deep, internal muscles of the press and back, which are essential to support the spine, are included in the work.

Swimming increases lung excursion.
With age, the capacity of our lungs decreases due to a decrease in the range of motion of the thoracic spine and rib joints. In the elderly, chest excursion (excursion is the distance that the lower border of the lungs during respiratory movements) is only about 1-2 cm or even completely disappears.
While swimming, it is useful to master the technique of proper breathing: inhale deeply and exhale quickly. A greater frequency and depth of respiratory movements will improve lung ventilation and increase the range of motion of the costal joints and the thoracic spine. The benefits of swimming в том, что оно дает возможность и в пожилом возрасте использовать позвоночник и суставы ребер по их назначению, а также восстановить и сохранить жизненно необходимую емкость легких.

The benefits of swimming для психоэмоционального здоровья.
And the last point about the benefits of swimming, but not the least in importance, is the beneficial emotional impact of swimming. It calms and relieves psycho-emotional and muscle tension, no matter where you swim – on the lake or in the pool.

Here are how many useful and pleasant moments you can get by periodically or regularly swimming in open water, or visiting the pool. And there are many styles of swimming, so choose the technique that is right for you.

Swimming styles for various spinal problems.
1. With increased thoracic bend (hyperkyphosis) and stoop, it is recommended to swim on the stomach – in this case, the spine will unbend backwards, and, accordingly, this type of posture will be corrected.
2. For the same reasons, in case of flattening of the thoracic curve of the spine, it is better, on the contrary, not to resort to swimming styles on the stomach. For the health of the spine, it is recommended to swim more on your back.
3. For the elderly and those who have not exercised for a long time, it is useful to swim crawl (on the stomach or on the back) and breaststroke on the back without taking out hands.
With such styles of swimming, the spine is unloaded as much as possible, and therefore if there are serious problems with its health, it is better to swim and lie on your back.

What to do if you don’t know how to swim?
The phrase “I can’t swim” usually means “I don’t know how to move on water” or “I’m afraid of water, and therefore I don’t even try to learn to swim.”
If your answer is the first option, great! Since for the health of the spine it is very useful even just to lie in the water. Move in the water as best you can, or just lie on your stomach and back – in any case, all the benefits of “hydroweightlessness” will be affect your body.
If you are afraid of water – the most important thing is to eliminate this fear. The human body, immersed in water, has increased buoyancy, that is, it is lighter than water. You can lose your buoyancy only if you enter the water after eating “to satiety” or exhaling all the air from your lungs.
To stop being afraid of water, it is recommended to conduct an experiment with your buoyancy. To do this, you should go into shallow water, take a deep breath, lie down on the water and lie down for at least 10-15 seconds. Your body will definitely float to the surface. Then exhale all the air from your lungs and feel how you begin to slowly sink under the water (until you have the courage). After you learn how to keep your body on the water, try to move your legs and arms a little, pushing off the water. Then you can start learning swimming styles.

Swimming is actually very useful for both sick and healthy people. Water procedures improve the physical capabilities of the body and harden it. Swimming gives health not only for various diseases of the spine, but also for other diseases of the musculoskeletal system, respiratory organs and nervous system.