In previous articles I have covered running and cycling; given my background in triathlon, I should now cover swimming, although you don’t have to do a triathlon if you want to swim!
Most of us probably learnt to swim at school, I expect with mixed results. I had the less than pleasant experience of Spanish John (we also had English John!) he had a harsh approach, very much sink or swim, despite this I learnt to swim. Others I know had similar tuition and have been put off for life.
Whatever level your swimming skills are, swimming is a great exercise for most people. You can do it in the safety of a pool, it is easy on your joints if you have knee issues for example, and you don’t have to worry about getting wet if it is raining!
If you don’t know how to swim, or are a little rusty, then there are adult swimming classes, the pool at Blackbrook for example offers these. Much of what I write about, and work with my clients on, is about extending lifespan and also healthspan, being able to swim can literally save your life, so swimming is a skill I highly recommend people to have.
Swimming won’t give you the same health benefits as cycling or running, but for many people it is a lovely exercise to get started with. Once you start building up the lengths then you will be burning calories, gaining some flexibility, and like every exercise, feel good afterwards.
In Taunton we are lucky to have a few pools to choose from. In town there is Station Road and Blackbrook. A lovely pool nearby is at Wiveliscombe, if you’ve not been there before then I encourage you to pay a visit, it is open air (but heated) and you can often hear cows mooing just the other side of a hedge.
If a pool is not for you then try open water. You won’t have a lifeguard watching over you so you are responsible for your safety, search online for more information about this. In Taunton you can swim at French Weir. Further afield there is Clevedon Marina (great for when the sea is too choppy) and my favourite, Lyme Regis (although Reggie the dolphin is disrupting that a bit at the moment).
Open water has additional benefits over a pool swim. As winter approaches the cold water can make you feel more alive (but be very careful about hypothermia) and alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Whatever you choose, I highly recommend that you find your swimsuit and treat yourself to a swim, you won’t regret it.