It’s not quite the cure-all we’d like it to be, but it’s not bad
Swim England estimates that swimming saves the NHS and the wider health and social care system more than £350 million each year. In Outdoor Swimmer magazine’s recent trends survey, we found that around 70% of outdoor swimmers say it supports their mental health, while some 85% swim for their general wellbeing.
Swimming (regardless of whether it’s in the pool or outside) can lower stress, reduce anxiety and depression, improve sleep and boost heart health. Outdoors, you may additionally get green and blue space benefits. All good stuff. And you don’t need a rigorous training regime to enjoy swimming’s rewards. Just do it.
Medicinal compound
It’s not surprising, therefore, that many swimmers treat swimming as a type of medicine. They say things like, “you always feel better after a swim” or “a good swim will fix you.” These ideas have a long history. Ancient Greeks and Romans both believed in the healing powers of bathing and these ideas were revived by Renaissance physicians such as Garbriele Falloppia and Andrea Bacci.
But while swimming is amazing, sadly it isn’t quite Lilly the Pink’s medicinal compound – “Most efficacious in every case” for those of you too young to remember.
Nevertheless, many swimmers seem to treat it as if it is. I am also guilty of this. But it’s not always the wisest thing to do.
First, if you have a contagious disease, bringing it to the pool won’t endear you to your fellow swimmers. Open water might be OK if you keep your distance.
Second, if you have an illness or are undergoing treatment that depresses your immune system, you probably don’t need to pick up an infection either in the pool or open water.
But what of those cases where you have an ailment that’s neither contagious nor so debilitating as to stop you from swimming? A swim may make you feel better, even if it’s just the boost of doing something positive. There’s also anecdotal evidence that swimming (especially cold water swimming) can help with some mental health conditions. On the other hand, you may find swimming exhausts you and prolongs your recovery.
Medical trials
The way forward is to apply the Renaissance ideal of experimentation. Swim and observe how it makes you feel. Monitor your swimming intensity, time in the water and the water temperature. Keep swimming if it helps, but back off if it doesn’t.
Over the past few months, I’ve been dealing with a couple of minor ailments that have impacted my swimming. My experiments showed me that both my capacity for high-intensity swimming and my tolerance for cold water were significantly reduced. Trying to force the issue exhausted me and made me grumpy. On the other hand, slow, technique-focused swims in the pool or gentle open water swims in warm water were restorative. Swimming wasn’t a cure, but it felt like something positive to do, even though I couldn’t do it as I normally would.
Swimming works better as preventative medicine rather than curative, but we shouldn’t underestimate its value in making us feel better when we’re unwell, as long as we’re sensible. Applying the Renaissance lens reminds us not to treat swimming as a silver bullet, but as part of a holistic philosophy for health and healing.
