Swim England is the first sport governing body to look in-depth at the relationship between health and well-being and swimming. With once-a-week participation in children 16 and over falling by three-quarters of a million in the past decade, Swim England is encouraging the public to swim for pleasure, leisure, or as a sport. The Swimming and Health Commission established by Swimming England developed reports exploring the evidence base regarding the health benefits of swimming.
The key themes from the scientific report show how swimming can correlate with many health benefits for anyone in a community. Swimming is unique because it can support people throughout their entire life, the waters unique benefits make it the perfect place for all ages to exercise. Water is a non-weight baring form of physical activity and is accessible to all people despite health conditions that may hold them back in other forms of exercise (obesity, musculoskeletal issues). In addition, swimming is associated with a lower risk of early death by 28 percent and can benefit those with long term health conditions. Children who have taken regular swimming lessons have shown to develop quicker physically, cognitively, and socially than their peers who are not in the water. Lessons are also associated with a reduced risk in drowning.
This report’s results show evidence for a correlation between the significant health and quality of life improvements that come from swimming regularly. According to the study’s authors swimming is proven to be a safe, cost effective and a feasible option for patient care. British Swimming stated that these results are going to be used to raise awareness within the health profession that swimming is a viable option for patients. With 5000 pools currently built in England, Swim England is going to continue to explore the economic analyses on the costs and benefits of swimming and consider incorporating the long term health effects and healthcare costs.
You can read the full study HERE
ab