As summer approaches and temperatures gradually rise, more and more people are heading to the water in search of a host of benefits for the body and mind.
Not a racing fan? Swimming can be not only a good alternative, but also more efficient.
Using all your muscles, swimming guarantees a full-body workout, and as such, 30 minutes of exercise in the water equates to 45 minutes on land, according to Swim England.
Even a leisurely swim can burn over 400 calories an hour, more than double the amount of walking.
The comparative low impact of water activities in contrast to running makes them perfect outlets for those caring for minor injuries as well as the elderly.
And it’s not just short-term gains, there are lasting benefits to swimming as well.
Regular swimmers have a 28% lower risk of early death and a 41% lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke, according to a report by Swim England’s Swimming and Health Commission in 2017.
calm waters
While the physical boosts of swimming are widely documented, the mental health benefits of getting in the water are less well known but just as impactful.
In 2019, nearly half a million Britons living with mental health diagnoses said swimming had reduced the number of visits to a healthcare provider, according to Swim England.
Open water swimming in particular — with its naturally cooler temperatures — is increasingly understood to have mental health benefits.
For those willing to brave the cold, the feel-good hormone dopamine is released upon entering cold water, ensuring an endorphin rush that can last for hours after drying.
Research into the anti-inflammatory properties of cold water by the University of Portsmouth in the UK has gathered a growing body of anecdotal evidence that it can dampen the inflammatory responses that cause anxiety and depression.
Just being in a so-called “blue environment”, near the ocean or a body of water, is known to lower stress responses.
writing to CNN in the past, frontline worker Mark Lieber has reflected on the transformative impact of even brief dips in the pool to help lighten the weight of the previous year, literally and figuratively.
“My first thought upon diving to the surface of the water was that I felt a little more buoyant than usual, likely due to the additional pounds caused by the quarantine,” Lieber said.
“But as I continued to glide through the water, my initial worry about weight gain was replaced by a feeling of catharsis, as if the water was cleansing me of the stress built up during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Stroke after stroke, I could feel my mood improving, my mind clearing and my body relaxing.”
moment of epiphany
Rachel Ashe, founder of Mental Health Swims, is a living testament to the positive mental impact of open water swimming.
Based in the UK, Mental Health Swims is a volunteer-led peer support community that organizes open water meetups across the UK.
Having received her mental health diagnosis in 2018, Ashe started running but lost confidence after some terrifying slips on the ice over the winter.
By the end of the year, she was feeling “very bad” and “everything was challenging,” but on New Year’s Day, Ashe — literally — plunged into a new future.
Braving the ‘Loony Dook’ — an annual event that sees fearless participants take to the icy waters near Edinburgh, Scotland — Ashe returned to the beach shivering but changed.
“It was very painful and I didn’t like it,” Ashe told CNN Sport “but the very strange feeling of connection to my body after living unhappily in my mind for so long was a real epiphany moment for me.”
Six months later, 30 people joined Ashe for a swim meet and the group’s growth has been exponential since then, even during the pandemic.
This year, Mental Health Swims will host more than 80 swim meetups — from Cornwall, southwest England, to Loch Lomond, Scotland — led by trained volunteer hosts, with an emphasis on inclusion and peer support.
The reasons for joining vary. For some, it’s the sense of community, while others seek mindfulness and that post-swim endorphin rush.
Ashe loves the water as an alternative safe space from the more intimidating environment of the gym, a passion that has given new life to her mental health.
“I learned that my differences are a strength and not something to be ashamed of,” Ashe said. “I never thought I could do the things I do today.
“I will always have a mental illness, but I’m much better at taking care of myself these days. I still have great feelings, but with medication, therapy, swimming outdoors, and healthy, happy relationships, I’m doing great.”
“She started going and kept saying, ‘You have to come in, it really helps with your mental health,'” Waters told CNN .
“When you leave, you’re in a bit of a hurry, almost like you’ve woken up in a way. I know this sounds really weird, but it definitely gives you that tingling feeling that you’ve achieved something I never thought you would be able to do before.”
And so began a dogged commitment, even during winter, to swimming two or three times a week—sometimes Waters’ only way out of the house due to protection requirements.
From relieving muscle stiffness to increasing joint flexibility, swimming has several physical boosts for those with arthritis, according to the charity Versus Arthritis, for whom Waters wrote.
For Waters, these physical urges dovetail with mental health benefits.
“You always get the feeling of fear right before you say, ‘Can you do this?’” said Waters.
“But I do it and then it’s a sense of achievement in a way, for your physical and mental well-being, it definitely does something.
“With all the meds, you can feel quite tired most of the time — when you have a day off, you’re so tired that you don’t feel like you have the energy to do it — but once you’ve done it, it revitalizes you. .
“Once you start to improve your symptoms of anxiety or depression, it can have physical benefits as well.”
After finishing his first dive in over a year, Lieber anticipated the start of a four-night stretch working in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
“I usually dread the first of these night shifts,” he said. “But somehow the task felt more manageable than usual.
“Whatever happens tonight, happens. No matter what happens, there will always be tomorrow.”
Source: CNN Brasil
