OK, so it’s not a miracle cure for ageing, but swimming can knock years off you. In terms of age markers like muscle mass and lung function swimming really does help you stay younger for longer.
A long-term study at Indiana University Center for the Science of Swimming found that swimmers aged over 35 swimming roughly 3,200 to 4,500 metres three to five times a week, postponed the ageing process.
And you don’t have to beat out the lengths. The research shows even a small amount of swimming each week helps you stay younger for longer. And it is not just body age it can help with.
Stay younger for longer with swimming
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and doing some form of physical activity on a regular basis can lower the risk of developing limitations in your body by up to 50%.
The more physical activity you take part in, the less risk of suffering fractures. In fact, just a moderate amount of physical activity on a regular basis can reduce hip fractures by up to 68%.
Swimming is a non-impact sport. The exercise works muscles without putting pressure on joints and limbs through impacting on a hard surface.
Mental benefits
Dementia is a huge issue in the UK alone. It affects over three-quarters of a million people. As you get older, the risk of conditions like dementia increases.
It is a syndrome, which means a group of related symptoms. They are associated with the ongoing decline of the abilities of the brain and memory. Problems can occur with memory, thinking speed, language, understanding, mental agility and judgement.
The condition is rare in younger people, so the majority of cases are seen in people over the age of 65. Mentally, swimming can help you stay younger for longer by offering a sense of wellbeing. It clears the mind and encourages self-belief and positivity.
Also, swimming pools are meeting points, reducing loneliness, enabling people to form new friendships, and offering exercise to ensure you remain physically and mentally active.
Source: www.swimming.org