Dear fellow swimmers
Can swimming help you stay 'young'?
None of us can change our chronological age. You can’t stay young. But swimming might be one of the best tools we have to
stay fit, mobile, strong and mentally agile – all things associated with youth that tend to decline with age. For example:
- Long distance swimming supports your VO2 Max
- Sprints and high intensity swimming builds strength and power
- Mixing up your strokes
helps maintain mobility
- Cold water swimming may have cognitive benefits
Supplement swimming with running or walking for bone density, a land-based activity such as yoga or gym work for flexibility and joint health, and a balanced nutritionally rich diet, and you will be doing almost everything possible to
boost your chances of a long and active life.
Of course, luck plays a role and circumstances may prevent you doing everything you could do. We can only do our best and hope.
Positive attitude
Being in a good
place mentally also helps.
I received an email this week from one of our older readers. She’s 81 and recently completed a half marathon. Next year, she’s signed up for the Bantham Swoosh.
She says she’s determined not to give up and wants to keep on challenging herself, regardless of
age. It’s a wonderful sentiment, and I hope many of you share it.
Challenges prompt us to train, and training helps ward off some of the conditions that are linked to ageing.
And reading Outdoor Swimmer magazine helps keep you inspired to take on more challenges 😉. Get our
December issue here...
