Could swimming be your new mindfulness practice?

I have always loved swimming. Every Friday, I went swimming with my grandad, brother, and sister. We took turns being thrown into the water or holding onto Grandad’s shoulders and being pulled through the water.

After we were dried and dressed, we’d go to the vending machine, where I’d enjoy my favourite post-swim treat – a Twix and a bottle of Lilt. I can still taste the combination now and feel the lovely sleepy feeling after playing mermaids and racing my sister.

Returning to swimming

For a while, I had forgotten my love of swimming. Yoga, walking, and occasional gym classes had become my go-to exercise. It wasn’t until a swimming challenge two summers ago that I returned to the pool. I was expecting it to feel awful. I was expecting to ache all over and feel a bit useless in the water.

But apparently, swimming and riding a bike are similar.

After losing my grandad last year, swimming has taken on a new meaning for me. It is not just exercise but a lovely reminder of the wonderful childhood I was lucky enough to enjoy. It gives me a boost of nostalgia, and I feel a little closer to Grandad. And it just feels good in my body.

Now, you don’t have to have the same childhood memories of swimming as I do to enjoy its benefits. Not at all.

There are two major benefits to swimming: the whole-body exercise and the peace and quiet.

Swimming and mindfulness

You see, swimming is meditative. I didn’t realise this until recently.

I was on holiday – which does, I admit, make almost anything more mindful – swimming in an outdoor pool. Around me were groups of friends chatting to each other, swimming back and forth, completing lengths around the groups. I had to close my eyes against the sun at each halfway point.

It turns out I was swimming for close to an hour. In that hour, I contemplated the way the sun was reflected on the water, the smell of fresh air, the low hum of happy chatter, and my breath.

My mam long ago taught me to make my breath even and controlled when swimming. It is only since my adulthood return to swimming that I’ve really understood how to do this. And I realised she uses the controlled breathing we all work so hard for in yoga class. Except it comes naturally to her with the rhythm of swimming.

And now, after some practice, to me.

This steady breathing, the steady motion of swimming backwards and forwards, the time stretching out around me and having nowhere else to be. It is all deliciously relaxing. And that’s not even considering how warm and relaxed you feel after you’re showered and dried.

And it’s not just on holiday that I find swimming this relaxing.

I’ve recently joined my local gym with a pool. I go swimming once or twice a week and the pool is small but enough to swim lengths. What I’ve found is that if I focus on my movements and my breaths, I barely notice what is going on around me. Even if the pool is busy, it doesn’t bother me. I simply enjoy the motion, the time with my thoughts and, of course, the endorphin boost and pride that I’m getting in such a good workout.

The benefits of swimming 

Whether you haven’t swam since childhood or you’re a regular pool-goer, swimming has some fantastic benefits. And if you can’t swim, a class such as Aqua Fit can have many of the same benefits.

The British Heart Foundation recommends swimming as a whole-body yet low-impact form of exercise. While Women’s Health explains it has many benefits including for mental health and as a low-impact form of cardio.

Swimming can help with weight loss, but we love that it can also strengthen your lungs, improve strength and flexibility, and be proven to increase longevity even more.

Getting started

If you’re new to swimming, you can find a range of adult swimming lessons via Go Gateshead and Swim Now. If you’re nervous, signing up for a class is a great way to try swimming with the support of a professional in a warm and friendly environment.

If you’re returning to swimming after a long time, it might be worth attending a swimming lesson or Aqua Fit class to regain your confidence in the water.

Going swimming with a friend or family member who is more confident might also be a good idea.

How to make swimming a mindfulness practice

Swimming is a great form of exercise, but it can also be beneficial for our mental health too. To make your next swimming session a mindful one, try these top tips:

• Choose your pool and time carefully
  If you can access an adults-only pool or time your swim to avoid children’s lessons or aquafit classes, you’ll enjoy a more peaceful swim. If not, consider some foam earplugs to help you stay in the calm zone.
• Swim with a friend
  While swimming is great, there can be some anxieties that come with stepping into the pool for the first time in a while. Take a friend to help build your confidence and help you relax.
• Use breathing techniques
  Enhance your swim with some focused breathing techniques. This could be counting your inhales and exhales to try and even them up or even simply ensure you’re exhaling as you move your arms away in breaststroke and inhale as you draw them back, for a great movement meditation.
• Incorporate a short warm-up and cool down
  A few gentle stretches before and after your swim will help your body feel better throughout and after your time in the pool. A few gentle yoga stretches in the water will feel great and help you to continue building strength and flexibility.
• Set a realistic target and build up slowly
  I find counting my lengths very restorative. In the beginning, I aimed for 20 lengths; now, I aim for 70 or 100, depending on how I’m feeling. This makes me feel really accomplished when I leave the pool while also leaving space for the fact that life happens. Sometimes, it’s about pushing ourselves, and sometimes, it’s just about the fact we got into the pool.
• Enjoy a short body scan after your swim
  It could be as you’re getting dried, once you’re back in the car or even lying in bed after your swim. Whenever you choose to try this, I promise it will make your swim even more mindful. Simply notice how your body feels. Gently scan from your feet all the way up to your head. Perhaps notice that slight heaviness that happens after being in the pool for a while. Or revel in the ‘good’ tiredness that comes after a workout you’ve really enjoyed.

Whether you’re a regular swimmer or haven’t been to a pool in years, swimming is a great way to improve your fitness and take care of your mind.

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