When someone goes to the doctor with back pain, the main recommendation is to swim. We’ve heard it for back pain, leg pain, neck pain, and a host of other injuries. But is swimming really the best option?
There are some myths that seem to never go away, such as that eating fruit before bedtime is bad. Swimming is the recommendation for everything: back, shoulder or neck pain, scoliosis, etc. However, this is not proven to be the case. However, this does not mean that swimming is a fantastic sport for any type of person. In the end, all movement is welcome to be more active.
Does not improve joint pain
Swimming is not the best option to prevent or improve joint pain. We must first understand that the origin of most back or neck pain is due to the muscular weakness. And the most effective way to strengthen those muscles and tissues is not swimming. If we have muscular weakness in the shoulders and we demand to move in the water putting all our weight on them, the injury and pain will multiply.
Some studies show that swimming does not improve bone mineral mass (unlike strength training, which it does). Therefore, advising swimming to, for example, prevent or treat osteoporosis may not be the best idea. It is said that it is a good exercise for people who are overweight or obese, since they do not have to support their weight when moving. However, small impacts and strength training is essential so that these types of people do not lose bone mass.
Strength Training: The Solution
So what can we do to improve that back pain? Train strength. Strength training has proven to be effective both in preventing pain and injury and in improving symptoms. It is recommended to go to a professional to guide the training, verifying the technique of the movements and controlling the progression of the weight taken. If we start from an injury, it is likely that we will not be able to do full ranges of motion, so a rehabilitator He is the best professional for this.
We should not be guided by seeing professional swimmers who are very strong and muscular from swimming. In the end, they are professionals who, in addition to swimming, do gym work and follow very high-calorie diets. Also, swimming without technique or without having done it before can increase the risk of injury. In the end we are using our arms and legs to move forward, so a wrong movement can be fatal.