Swimming for Pleasure Can Improve Physical and Mental Health

More and more of us will head to the water as summer draws near and the temperatures start to rise in search of a variety of health and mental benefits.

Do not enjoy running.

Swimming may not only be a good substitute, but also one that is more effective.

Swimming offers a full-body workout because it uses all of your muscles; as a result, 30 minutes of training in the water are similar to 45 minutes on land, claims Swim England.

Swimming, even at a leisurely pace, can burn up to 400 calories per hour, more than twice as many as walking.

Compared to running, water sports have a lower impact, making them the ideal form of exercise for senior people and those recovering from minor ailments.

Swimming also has long-term advantages in addition to immediate ones.

According to a 2017 study by Swim England's Swimming and Health Commission, regular swimmers have a 28% lower chance of dying young and a 41% lower risk of dying from heart disease and stroke.

quiet waters

The physical benefits of swimming are well known, but less is known about the equally significant mental health advantages of swimming.

Swimming has reportedly decreased the amount of visits to a medical professional for roughly 500,000 Brits who have been diagnosed with mental health conditions, according to Swim England.

With its naturally lower temperatures, open-water swimming in particular is now known to have positive effects on mental health.

On August 4, 2021, a woman swims in the Xhemas Lake, a tiny undeveloped lake in the Valbona National Park close to Dragobi, to cool off.

Dopamine, the feel-good hormone, is released by entering cold water, providing an endorphin surge that can continue hours after drying off for those who are ready to withstand the chill.

Anecdotal evidence that cold water helps reduce the inflammatory reactions that lead to anxiety and depression is developing as a result of research into its anti-inflammatory characteristics conducted by the University of Portsmouth in the UK.

It is known that even just being in a "blue environment"—close to the ocean or another body of water—can reduce stress reactions.

Dr. Mark Lieber, a frontline worker, thought back on how even quick dives in the water might have a transforming effect on easing the actual and figurative weight of the preceding year.

The extra weight brought on by quarantine, Lieber claimed, "was probably the reason for the increased pounds I felt as I went under the surface of the water, was that I felt a little more buoyant than usual."

But as I continued to float through the water, I noticed that my initial anxiety over gaining weight had been replaced by a sense of catharsis, as if the water were relieving me of the stress that had collected throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

"I could feel my mood lifting, my head clearing, and my body releasing after each stroke."

The founder of Mental Health Swims, Rachel Ashe, is a living example of the benefits open water swimming has on one's mental health.

Open-water meets are organized all around the UK by Mental Health Swims, a volunteer-led peer support group with a UK base.

Ashe started running after receiving her mental health diagnosis in 2018, but she lost confidence after a few terrifying accidents on ice during the winter.

She was "very ill" and "everything was tough" by the end of the year, but on January 1st, Ashe quite literally jumped into a new future.

Ashe overcame the "Loony Dook," a yearly event where brave people plunge into the chilly waters near Edinburgh, Scotland, and shiveringly returned to the beach altered.

Ashe admitted to CNN Sport that the experience wasn't fun and was really painful, but that it served as a "epiphany moment" for her after spending so much time unhappy in her terrible mind.

a swimming competition on January 1 at Caswell Bay in Swansea, Wales, with Mental Health Swims.

Thirty people joined Ashe for a swim meet six months later, and the group's expansion has been exponential ever since, despite the pandemic.

From Cornwall in the southwest of England all the way up to Loch Lomond in Scotland, Mental Health Swims will hold over 80 swim meets this year. These events will be run by trained volunteer swim hosts with a focus on inclusivity and peer support.

Joining motivations can differ. Some find it in the sense of community, while others look for mindfulness and the endorphin rush that comes after a swim.

Ashe has a passion for the water that has given her mental health new life and provides a safe haven away from the intimidating environment of the gym.

I've discovered that, rather than being something to be ashamed of, my differences are a strength, Ashe said. "I never imagined I would be able to do what I do today."

Although I will always have a mental disease, these days I am much better at taking care of myself. Even though I still experience strong emotions, I am doing pretty well thanks to my medicine, counseling, outdoor swimming, and fulfilling relationships.

Since its inception in 2019, Mental Health Swims has grown steadily.

'Revitalized'

Few people are more qualified to discuss the advantages of swimming for both physical and mental health than Sarah Waters, who lives in Cornwall's coastal county.

Rheumatoid arthritis was discovered in Waters while she was still an undergraduate. She has experienced the chronic inflammatory disease's symptoms for over ten years.

After returning from a trip and job in Australia, she discovered a lump on her neck that turned out to be skin cancer. Aggressive therapies and medicines proved to be incredibly exhausting.

The necessity to protect during the pandemic added to the physical and psychological strain of the cancer removal procedures and changing therapies, but Waters' circumstances improved when, with some encouragement from her mother, she took up sea swimming.

In the midst of the pandemic, Waters started swimming.

According to Waters, who spoke to CNN, "She started coming and she kept saying, "You've got to come in, it really does help with your mental health."

"You feel a little rushed when you get out, almost like you've been awakened in a way." Although that may sound really strange, it does give you the tingly sensation of accomplishing something you had never dreamed you would be able to do."

So began a steadfast dedication to swimming twice to three times per week, even during the winter. Due to the need for protection, this was occasionally Waters' only means of leaving the house.

Waters hasn't turned around since she and her mother made their first trip into the ocean.

According to Versus Arthritis, a charity Waters has written for, swimming has a number of physical benefits for people with arthritis, from reducing muscle stiffness to enhancing joint flexibility.

These physical advantages complement the advantages to Waters' mental health.

As soon as you step inside, you always experience panic and wonder, "Can you do it?," according to Waters.

Meet the Black Women Fighting for Swimming Equality.

But I do it, and afterward, I feel somewhat accomplished. It undoubtedly has an impact on both your physical and mental health.

With all the medications, you might feel quite exhausted a lot of the time; on days off, you might not feel like you have the energy to do anything, but once you finish it, you'll feel revived."

It can also benefit you physically once your anxiety or depression symptoms start to improve."

Dr. Lieber looked ahead to the beginning of a four-night shift working in the hospital's intensive care unit after finishing his first swim in more than a year.

He confessed, "I typically dread the first of these night shifts." But for some reason, the assignment felt easier to complete than usual.

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