Artistic swimming is a great activity and we will go into a few of the reasons why here.

Of course, it's good for your physical fitness 

Like regular swimming, artistic swimmers work every muscle in their body during a class. We use our legs to tread water and perform choreography (without touching the bottom) and we use our arms to scull and hold our legs steady above the surface of the water. While doing all this, our core is activated and engaged. In addition, we work on our cardio fitness with the high energy movements in many routines requiring lots of stamina to perform. 

But some of the things that set artistic swimming apart is the fact that we also develop our coordination, flexibility and balance. 

Swimming in a routine with up to nine other people requires a lot of spatial awareness and the ability to perform movements with accuracy. We do acrobatics in routines which also calls for some of the skills of diving, gymnastics and cheerleading with the added challenge of being in the water. And finally, to perform movements with elegance, we need flexibility and control like dancers. 

But it's also good for your overall wellbeing

Being in the water can be very soothing. Doing any form of physical activity can improve a person's mood and sleep. 

The added benefit of artistic swimming is the cogntive challenge from executing highly technical movements and learning routine choreography. Both of these things can help with memory and transfer over to other areas of life. Artistic swimmers get used to doing many things at once!

As a team sport, long-term training can develop many important soft skills such as communication, teamwork, adaptability and the ability to deal with pressure. As a club, we try to offer as many beyond the water leadership opportunities as we can. This includes things such as club captains, supporting swimmers to complete their Duke of Edinburgh requirements, volunteering and coaching. 

And finally

It's fun!