The impact of utility swimming on improving human health functions and supporting mental state

Abstract

This study aims to demonstrate the correlation between the level of health and the level of physical activity, as well as to determine whether increasing public awareness in the field of health and prevention may have a positive effect on health status, and whether learning to swim during school age and earlier can help prevent the occurrence of diseases, as well as postural defects and disorders. The study used an original questionnaire survey. 40 men and 31 women of different ages (from 10 to over 40 years) who were able to swim and engage in physical activity, participated in the research. Analysis of the responses obtained during the study is presented as a sequential overview of all results. The survey included participants from various social backgrounds who can move in the water environment and contained questions regarding age, sex, and selected anthropometric indicators. It also included questions on the level of physical activity and the frequency of illnesses. The next part of the questionnaire addressed health-promoting behaviors and their frequency. Also, respondents answered about their attitudes toward swimming, particularly in the context of postural defects and disorders. 97% of the respondents confirmed the preventive potential of swimming in relation to disease prevention. Only 3% of participants do not believe in the preventive value of physical activity in the aquatic environment. The most frequently reported positive effect of physical activity was an improvement in well-being and increased psychological comfort, reported by 58 respondents. 38 participants reported changes in body composition, while 35 respondents confirmed an increase in muscle strength as a result of physical activity.