Is swimming really that beneficial?

Swimming's most important physiological benefit is likely to be it's increased cardiovascular health. But beyond this obvious benefit, is swimming really all that it's touted to be?

Depends on what you're looking to gain from exercise as an experience.

Swimming has a few great perks but if your goals don't align with what swimming achieves; it's not a big deal.

The big claim for swimming is that it is essentially full body resistance cardio with 0 impact. That pretty much says it all. When a runner may need to take some days off because they are simply beat up from all that pounding, that person can jump in the pool and still get a great workout.

Swimming for athletes: The case for cross-training

It wont make or break you whether or not you swim unless your training for something like a triathlon. However, if you enjoy swimming then its probably one of the best forms of cardio. No different than if you loved basketball. 1-2hrs of baskeball at a good pace is crazy good cardio.

Write down your goals and what you want to achieve with fitness. Write down the fit'ish things you enjoy doing, draw some connections, and get rocking and rolling. It's always better to enjoy what you do. I hate running..... so I just don't.