I’m the first person to say I love swimming. I am also the first to admit that when I go to the pool I’ll swim about two laps and then happily float around for the next half hour, not exercising a muscle.

If you’re like me and need a bit of convincing that it’s worth taking the plunge, read on to find out the best benefits of heading to the pool for your workouts.

1. It’s low impact. When you swim, the water supports most of your body weight, which is great for exercising stiff joints or muscles. It also means you can work harder with less wear and tear on your body. This is also the reason swimming and aquatic exercises are so good for people suffering from arthritis.
2. It works your whole body. Or just about. When you swim, your legs, shoulders and arms, as well as your core muscles all get a workout. This is excellent news for people that don’t have endless hours to spend exercising (or who are just a little bit lazy).
3. Increased muscle tone. When you run, you’re just running through air. When you swim, you’re pushing through water, which is much denser. This is why it’s harder to swim a kilometre than it is to run one. It also means that swimming is effectively a form of resistance exercise, which is great for toning up and strengthening your muscles.
4. Ease the wheeze. Prone to asthma? The moister air is better for asthmatics than the cold, dry air of outside and means you’ll be able to exercise with less symptoms. Even if you don’t suffer from asthma, swimming can increase lung capacity.
5. Help your heart: Swimming is an aerobic exercise, which is great for strengthening your heart muscles and keeping it healthy.

So what are you waiting for? Jump in!