Swimming, an art practised in leisure time earlier, has become the most popular sport in the competitive arena. The introduction of the first-ever Olympic Games in 1896 was the start of something revolutionary. With these being the first signs of a progressive wave in swimming, London's first swimming organization was the next big step. The name of this organization was England's National Swimming Society. Swimming then became a tradition in itself, with Australia hosting the first-ever swimming championships in 1846.
When we unfold tales about this very adventurous sport's glorious past, we should never forget to mention the privileged history that the sport shares with every living admirer.
From the past to the present: this sport has been ever so intriguing
A notion was depicted through the ancient cave paintings showing how people used to cross the lakes and river channels simply by swimming. After then, archeological surveys and other tangible evidence have stated that swimming has been practiced since 2500bc. This was when the Egyptian, Roman, and Greek civilizations had marked their presence, and swimming was then a part and parcel of their martial training. Additionally, the males of that time were introduced to this activity as a part of their academic curriculum as well. Ranging from being an entertainment source to a fitness activity, swimming has been a sport and a recreation since then.
The evolution in the world of swimming has been phenomenal considering prehistoric times.
1) The duration of swimming and the length of service of a swimmer have both enhanced
If we talk about the swimmers' longevity, the working span of an individual swimmer was far less compared to the present. This was because of the idea of discontinuing the activity once a school or college life got over. Mid 20's was the maximum age when one would drop the idea of swimming altogether. But as this activity developed in the form of a sport amongst people, the fondness towards it increased gradually. Though there were some other reasons behind this, such as the:
- The transformation of the sport from leisure to competition
- The availability of an increased number of pools and other added facilities
- Equipping the swimmers with better and sophisticated swimming training products
- The enhancement of the safety levels
- Swimming becoming a part of an academic curriculum
2) The introduction of swimming equipment: a significant advancement
Swimming has started looking much more professional after introducing the swimmers to the essential swimming pool products and the swimming training equipment. The equipment used earlier added to the movement's resistance, but this switch to the usage of a refined lot of pool products has added to the swiftness in the pool. Now, the swimmers, whether beginner or advanced, have become much more comfortable and open to learning new swimming skills and techniques because of the support provided by modern equipment such as the:
- Swimsuits
- Swim Goggles
- Swim trunks
- Snorkels
- Pull buoys
- Rubber bands
- Hand paddles
- Kickboards
- Fins
3) Safety rules have been set up both for a beginner and an expert
With great power comes great responsibility and a swimming professional understands this very well by the time he/she reaches this stage(starting from the beginner's). Accidents are so prevalent inside the pool, so a swimmer should always be encouraged to follow a set of rules for being in the pool.
Today, the way we swim is different from past generations who did not know about water safety and drowning prevention techniques. Now, the swimming lessons are a part of academics for a strong foundation building at the school level. Not only this, the correct methods and safety procedures are addressed as an integral part of the entire development program.
4) Swimming is now considered both a sport and recreation
The most significant change has been the mindset towards swimming. Now swimming is being treated both as a form of sport and recreation. Interacting with water is now savored by every age group. The art is slowly and steadily earning the name of a sensation. This sport has been a ray of hope and positivity in every individual's life since the people have now started to step out of their houses to participate in all the swimming events.
The future is even better
The present and future generations have realized that swimming is a tremendous source of a full-body workout, recreation, and fun. New records and standards are being set by the swimming professionals in the current generation.
They have believed that with swimming, the sky is the limit, and their future is bright. Today, swimmers are pushing their boundaries by setting benchmarks at all levels, even the Olympics.
This certainly has been a ray of inspiration for more and more people to take a pledge to challenge their cardiovascular systems and burn maximum calories through this rigorous full-body workout.