It’s no secret that any kind of physical activity is good for your overall health. Getting regular exercise reduces your risk of numerous diseases, keeps your muscles strong, your balance steady and improves your endurance.
The mental and emotional benefits of staying physically fit are also well known. Exercise boosts brain health improves mood and can help you sleep better.
You may get even more out of your workout if it involves getting wet. “Swimming (and other water exercise) is unique because it combines all the benefits of physical activity with the added benefits of being in the water,” says Seth Swary, Ph.D., a sport psychology clinician at the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine.
Can Swimming Reduce Anxiety and Stress?
Research has emerged since the pandemic that suggests that exercising in the water can do wonders for your mental health. “When indoor gyms and pools were closed, a lot of people headed outdoors for exercise,” says Swary. “For swimmers that meant natural water—such as ponds, lakes and oceans—as well outdoor pools.”
Being outdoors, combined with the benefits of exercise and water, yields an even bigger mental health boost than any one of those alone. “We know that time outdoors, connecting with nature, is great for mental health,” says Swary. “The added benefit of swimming outdoors may come from immersing yourself in cold water.”
Studies have shown that cold water is good for reversing the body’s physiologic stress response. “When you’re feeling stressed, your heart rate speeds up and your body temperature increases,” says Swary. “The cold water is jarring—in a good way. It de-escalates the stress response and pulls your mental attention away from destructive thought patterns.”
Sport Psychology Clinic
Mood-Boosting Benefits of Swimming
Swimming is gentle on the body, with none of the impact of walking or running. But it’s still physically challenging exercise that increases your heart rate and taxes your muscles.
“That effort is what stimulates an increase in serotonin and dopamine,” says Swary. “The release of those ‘feel-good’ chemicals helps lift mood and can even improve depression.”
If you swim as part of a team or club—or spend time in the pool doing a water aerobics class—you’ll also benefit from the social aspect. Being with others not only makes the activity more fun, it also fosters social connections that are important for better mood and overall brain health.
How Swimming Promotes Mindfulness
“There’s some evidence that just being in the water increases blood circulation to the brain,” says Swary. “That increase in blood flow is good for promoting a sense of well-being.”
You can get this benefit from swimming or even just relaxing in a bath or soaking in a hot tub. Any time spent in water gives you a soothing sensation of floating and weightlessness that helps your body and mind let go.
When it comes to swimming, the repetitive motions of the strokes can become almost like a mantra for your brain. “Repeating those rhythmic movements allows you to get lost in the activity,” says Swary.
The Power of Disconnecting
Another potential advantage of time in the water has nothing to do with whatever aquatic activity you’re doing.
“Swimming allows you to disconnect from screens and other stimulation,” says Swary. “It takes away the temptation to be constantly connected to a screen, a podcast or other distractions while you exercise.”
In our hyperconnected world, gliding through the water in silence can have a very calming effect. Next time you hit the gym, skip the frenzy of the cardio room and dive into the pool instead.
Reviewed by Seth Swary, Ph.D., a sports psychology clinician at the Henry Ford Center for Athletic Medicine.
