The Health and Wellbeing Benefits of Swimming

"Swim England has released a new report detailing the health benefits of swimming for individuals, communities and population health. Swimming regularly has considerable health and wellbeing benefits in comparison to people who do not engage in swimming. Key findings include: - Water-based activity has specific advantages over land-based exercise alone. - Swimming regularly is associated with a 28% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 41% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. - People who swim for recreation or competitive purposes are eight times more likely to meet physical activity guidelines compared to those who don't. - Long-term swim training can improve cardiorespiratory fitness or endurance in several populations including women during pregnancy, children with asthma and adults with osteoarthritis. "