Swimming Wins Gold for Fitness

BARCELONA, Spain, July 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Swimming named a top form of exercise for a long and healthy life

Spectators watching the 15^th FINA Swimming World Championships taking place in Barcelona this month may not be in line for a medal, but according to new research from Speedo, if they swim for fitness they will live a healthier life than those who take part in other forms of fitness, including land based exercise.

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The global study from Speedo, the world's leading swimwear brand, reveals that 73% of people who already swim or want to start swimming believe that it is the only sport that can be done for life.

In addition, 86% believe swimming provides a better work out and 71% feel physically fitter as a result of swimming compared to any other form of exercise.

It's not just health benefits that make swimming the best fitness choice; it's physical attractiveness as well. According to 76% of those surveyed, regular swimming results in a better body than any other form of exercise.

The research also challenges perceptions that swimming is perceived as a less exciting fitness regime, 84% of those surveyed believe swimming is more fun than other forms of exercise with 92% stating swimming is a stress reliever.

Sean Hastings, Vice President of Product and Marketing at Speedo said; "This research reinforces the benefits of swimming over other types of exercise which we hope will inspire more people to get in the pool and start swimming for fitness."

Ryan Lochte, Speedo ambassador and 11 time Olympic medallist says: "Swimming's a brilliant form of exercise and a great way to reach your fitness goals." To encourage people to hit the pool and make swimming their primary fitness regime Speedo has launched a new campaign called 'Get Speedo Fit'. Get started with the 8 Day Championship Challenge, a training programme that can be completed during the 15th FINA Swimming World Championships, of which Speedo is one of the main sponsors. Download the Starter, Improver or Performer training programmes from the Speedo newsroom.

Notes to editors

The research was conducted by Vision Critical between 4^th - 10^th June 2013 who surveyed 4,120 randomly selected adults living in the UK, USA, France and China. Adults surveyed currently take part in swimming, or have swam in the past or plan to take up the sport. The margin of error - which measures sampling variability - is +/- 2%. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.

About Speedo®

The world's leading swimwear brand, Speedo is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations and supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps. In the 1920s Speedo made history with the Racerback: the world's first non-wool suit. In 2008 Speedo redefined swimwear again with Fastskin LZR RACER - the fastest and most technologically advanced swimsuit ever created. 2011 saw Speedo unveil another world first with the Fastskin Racing System - a cap, goggle and suit designed to work together as one. Speedo is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; to find out more visit: http://www.speedo.com. SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, AQUALAB, RACING SYSTEM, SPEEDO BIOFUSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, SPEEDO SCULPTURE and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents. The FASTSKIN³ cap, goggle and suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.

SOURCE Speedo