Being one of the oldest forms of sports in the world, the history of swimming can be traced back to 2500 BC. According to archeologists, this activity was practiced in Egypt, Greece and Rome at those times and was a considered to be a type of martial training (britannica.com). Even though swimming was popular at all times, it took almost 4500 years for it to develop into an organized competitive kind of sports in the 19th century in Europe (nbcolympics.com). Today swimming is not only sports, but also a way to contribute to the safety of people’s life on the international level as well as an opportunity to develop personal qualities and maintain health.
First of all, swimming contributes to society on the level of life safety. According to statistics, drowning belongs to the main 10 causes of children and youth’s death in the world. Thus, in order to prevent children from drowning, there are special programs that teach them to swim and rescue people. One of such programs is established by Lifesaving Society and is called “Swim to Survive”. The aim of this program is to reduce the number of drowning cases teach not only swimming but also water safety skills among children (thestar.com). Basic swimming survival skills are absolutely necessary for each person all over the world as shows the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia. Many women in the area could not swim and, consequently, rescue. Therefore, it became obvious that swimming lessons for girls and women must be implemented in the South Indian regions for future contributions to survival (un.org).
In addition, today swimming is preferred kinds of sports for many people as it is a great opportunity to maintain health without much effort and develop personal skills and qualities. On the physical level, swimming positively affects respiratory system, strengthens muscles, helps to maintain the health of heart and lungs, is a good calories burner, since all muscles are involved when swimming, and improves coordination and flexibility (betterhealth.vic.gov.au). In addition, swimming possesses extreme recreational abilities helping people to recover from different kinds of injuries. On the mental health level, this kind of activity helps to reduce stress and overcome depression, teaches patience and releases tension (bucknell.edu). In such way, swimming can be generally acknowledged as the best activity for maintaining health and enjoying the process.
Finally, swimming, both as hobby or sports, joins people. Many clubs and pools are being opened for those who like and enjoy swimming. In addition, in many countries people unite into swimming societies. It definitely helps people to socialize, communicate, and develop the sense of team belonging. Swimming as organized kind of sports also contributes to societal joining up. For example, after the Athens Olympic Games in 1896 included swimming, it has become very popular and is considered to be “the most competitive and most-watched sports at the Olympic Games” (icnsportsweb.com).
Works Cited
“History of Swimming.” Icnsportsweb.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
“History of Swimming.” Nbcolympics.com. NBCUniversal, n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
Monsebraaten, Laurie. "Swimming Survival Programs Credited with Saving Many Lives.” Thestar.com. Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd., 4 June 2015. Web. 22 July 2015.
“Swimming.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
“Swimming - Health Benefits.” Betterhealth.vic.gov.au. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
“Swimming Information.” Bucknell.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 July 2015.
“Women, Gender Equality and Sport.” Un.org. N.p., december 2007. Web. 20 July 2015.
