Move Over Runners! Why Swimming is the Secret to Longevity.
Research says swimmers live longer than walkers and runners. Yup, you read that right— time to undo those laces and grab your goggles!
Dr. Steven Blair, Dr. Nancy Chase, and Dr. Xuemei Sui from the University of South Carolina dove headfirst into a study that compared the health benefits of swimming, water jogging, and aqua aerobics to the likes of walking and running. They tracked over 40,000 men aged 20-90 for 32 years (long enough for them to do quite a few laps!) and discovered that swimmers enjoy a significantly lower risk of kicking the bucket compared to their less aqua-inclined counterparts.
Using some fancy statistics (Cox proportional-hazards regression), the researchers found that swimmers had a whopping 53% lower risk of death compared to the sofa-dwellers, 50% lower than the walkers, and 49% lower than the runners. Basically, the data is clear: less land, more lap!
Even after considering things like age, body mass index, smoking, and whether you’re partial to a pint or two, the results held steady. Professor Blair himself was a bit gobsmacked, admitting, “I was expecting to see swimmers and runners have a lower risk of dying" he says. "I was a little surprised that the swimmers had a statistically significant lower death rate than the runners, but they did." Blair also stated that “there is no compelling reason to assume that the benefits of swimming would be different for women or for men in other socioeconomic groups. In an earlier study in this same population we found that both women and men had similar benefits from swimming in terms of fitness and other health indicators.”
On top of that, swimming is an affordable workout (hooray for oceans and lakes!) and is easy on the joints because H2O is 830 times denser than air. So, while you’re gliding through the water, your knees aren’t taking a battering. That said, don’t be fooled into thinking it's all smooth sailing—it’s also why it's way harder to walk through a pool than across your living room. Hello, resistance training!
Swimming offers all the health boosts of other exercises but without the pounding impact. Got dodgy knees? No worries! Whether you’re recovering from an injury or just fancy something a bit gentler, swimming’s got you covered.
And if you’re looking to protect your skin and hair after all that time in the water, TRISWIM has you covered. Our chlorine-removal skincare and haircare products are specially designed to wash away pool chemicals while nourishing and revitalising your skin and hair. Whether you're swimming for fun, fitness, or just to outlast those runners, TRISWIM helps you stay fresh, so you can dive right back in with confidence!
