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Swimming is a fantastic way to maintain physical and mental health without putting additional pressure on joints or muscles - and has a terrific community aspect, too

The global pandemic had a significant impact on many people’s activity levels, with research showing that disabled and elderly people were significantly affected; the Activity Alliance noted that disabled people were less likely to have found new ways to be active during the pandemic, and became less likely to exercise in order to manage mental health. Encouraging people to return to (or take up) exercise can have significant benefits in many areas of their life: it’s not just good for your physical wellbeing, but as previously mentioned, it’s excellent for clearing your head and managing mental wellness, too. As it’s summer, swimming is the exercise du jour: there’s nothing better than taking a cool, relaxing dip in the pool on a warm summer’s day. Swimming is a brilliant form of exercise for a whole host of reasons, with perhaps one of the most important being that it’s a non-weight bearing and low-impact exercise. This is because the water supports the majority of the swimmer’s body weight, and prevents a lot of strain being put on muscles and joints while they swim. This might lead you to believe that swimming is an “easy” exercise, but it’s far from it: water is around 800 times more dense than air, which means the swimmer has to work hard to push through it, resulting in them getting a full-body workout without impacting the joints. Swimming is also a form of cardiovascular exercise, and can contribute to improving lung capacity, and can help to build up endurance and increase fitness. It may sound like you need to spend an hour hammering away in the water to feel the benefits of swimming, but that’s not entirely accurate: swimming also has a phenomenal social aspect. It’s not uncommon to see people swimming together in pairs, chatting as they move up and down the pool. Joining swimming classes also fosters community and forges friendships - water aerobics classes and other

Water aerobics classes can be particularly beneficial for people with joint concerns, like arthritis or joint pain, allowing them to exercise and increase their range of motion without impacting their joints

water-based exercise classes fulfil this role, as do leisure centres in general, which become a meeting place for people to both meet and exercise. Water aerobics classes can be particularly beneficial for people with joint concerns, like arthritis or joint pain, allowing them to exercise and increase their range of motion without impacting their joints. It’s also never too late to learn how to swim - it’s a life skill, after all - and joining a class to learn how to swim teaches a valuable skill at any age. As with all exercise, swimming is excellent for helping to manage mental wellbeing. It offers swimmers time to relax, clear their heads and enjoy a little peace and quiet. Being alone with your thoughts for 45 minutes at a time (or however long they choose) might seem daunting, but that’s why waterproof MP3 players exist! Swim England notes that the exercise can have a positive impact on mental health, helping to boost mood, improve sleep, and reduce stress, while also helping to improve relaxation. Mental Health Swims is a fantastic charity that encourages people to prioritise “dips not distance” by hosting swim meet-ups where people are supported as they swim, dip, paddle or toe-dip in outdoor swimming locations across the country. Some people may require floatation equipment or other items to help them swim, or to feel more comfortable in the pool, and these are thankfully relatively easy to acquire. For example, Fledglings offer stylish swimwear and accessories catered for people who experience faecal incontinence, and Cui Wear create swimsuits which can help keep stoma pouches in place for ostomates who may wish to get back into the pool. Swimming.org’s Poolfinder can help to locate accessible swimming pools in the area. Charitable social enterprise Better offer one-on-one lessons and classes for disabled swimmers (both children and adults) which take place in accessible pools with poolside mobility aids for around £3 per session; their website - Better.org.uk - has a pool finder which makes it simple to find accessible leisure centres where their lessons take place.