For many people going to their local swimming pool sounds more like a nightmare than a cathartic experience. The overwhelming stench of chlorine and damp changing rooms littered with used plasters is hardly enticing.

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However, many recent studies have made revelations about the significant link between swimming and mental health.

 

SwimBritain found that people reported a 35% increase in their positivity after regularly swimming for four weeks.

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This is supported by a YouGov poll which found 1.4 million adults in England believe swimming helped relieve their symptoms of anxiety and depression.

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Perhaps most astonishingly, nearly half a million people reduced or stopped taking medication for their mental health issues as a result of swimming.

Brenton Ford, from the organisation Effortless Swimming, isn’t surprised by these studies.

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He says: “Swimming is a form of meditation. Your mind slows down and you forget about your outside thoughts.”

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So, maybe it’s time to dust off your swimsuit and dive in.