64: Bend Me, Shape Me

Bend me, shape me, anyway you want me
You got the power to turn on the light (Amen Corner, 1968)

Last month I finally succumbed to the Covid19 virus! I was very disappointed because I have always been so careful and I couldn’t think where I might have caught it. I also felt disappointed to realise I was not, after all, ‘super human’ with an inviolable immune system. However, I was even more disappointed that I had to miss the last opportunities to swim in the glorious late October sunshine and the calm, inviting tides. I felt miserable, knowing that by the time I was able to get back in the water, it would be November and the weather and the water would be a lot less welcoming. This is a crucial time of year for the all year round open water swimmer. The days are getting shorter and darker, the weather tends, increasingly, towards the wet and windy – but more crucially still, we are aware that as each week passes, the temperature of the water is dropping by a degree. Winter swimming is a psychological challenge. If you don’t keep getting in, it just becomes more difficult. And I wasn’t able to get in!

Just Keep Learning

I spent my time, while not swimming, catching up on reading and listening to radio podcasts – and I am happy to report that I learned some things about the health benefits of swimming that I had not previously known. I already knew that swimming was an excellent form of exercise that works the whole body, builds strength and lowers blood pressure. There have been numerous studies (Paulling, 2019) that prove how good swimming can be for all age groups and how it can help with a number of different physical and mental health conditions. There have also been an increasing number of studies that show the health benefits of swimming in cold water (Oliver, 2021) and I have referenced many of these in previous blog posts. I thought I was fairly up to date on all the research about the health benefits of swimming, However, I found out something new and interesting (to me). It turns out swimming has also been shown to be good for improving the ‘elasticity’ of your blood vessels in a way that no other exercise can.

and your heart is like an ocean
Mysterious and dark (Bob Dylan, 1976)

Suppleness, Stamina and Strength

Dr. Michael Mosley has a regular podcast on BBC Radio 4 called ‘Just One Thing‘. He has also published a book by the same name that brings together many of his findings about ways in which you can impact your mental and physical wellbeing by introducing simple changes to your daily life. One of these podcasts (September 2023) was about “the unique benefits of going for a swim”. In it he interviews Professor Hirofumi Tanaka, from the University of Texas, who explains why water-based exercises like swimming are especially good for improving the elasticity of your blood vessels, in a way that land-based exercises are not! I had always known that swimming is an excellent exercise for building suppleness, stamina and strength in the muscles, joints and lungs. Now it turns out swimming can also build suppleness in our arteries.

According to Tanaka’s research swimming ‘decreases arterial stiffness’, a risk factor for heart trouble. As Tanaka points out, cardio-vascular disease is a disease of the arteries, not of the heart. The function of our arteries is to ‘cushion and buffer’ the cardiac pulsations, but as we get older our arteries become stiff, and this can lead to damage in our crucial organs that are no longer ‘cushioned and buffered’. In his research, Tanaka found that regular swimming was ‘highly effective’ in reducing stiffness in the arteries and the consequent stress on the organs. He also found that swimming was more beneficial than walking, cycling or running for keeping the arteries supple.

There’s Something In The Water

Tanaka admits that ‘no one knows why’ exercising in water should have this effect, but he has done comparison studies using ‘cycling in water’ and ‘Nordic walking in water’ and found that also to be more beneficial in reducing vascular stiffness than when cycling or walking on land or in the gym! It is ‘something to do with being in water’ he says.

And another, fabulous finding from Tanaka’s research is that swimming seems to also be ‘better for the brain’ than other forms of (upright) exercise, or as Tanaka puts it ” water immersion increases cognitive function”. He hypothesises that this is due to the blood flow to the brain being increased because the exercise is done in a ‘supine position’! So, when swimming, we are exercising and increasing the flexibility of just about every part of our bodies. No wonder I feel so good after a swim! Thank goodness for Professor Tanaka and his interesting research. Yet more reasons to Just Keep Swimming!

Let it come
Let it rain
Rain all over me
Like the tide, let it flow
Let it wash all over me (Madonna, 2015)

It’s Not Winter Yet

I am also happy to report that I am, now, fully recovered from my encounter with Covid19 and, as October became November, I have been able to get back into the sea and enjoy some lovely late autumn swims. Despite my anxiety, the ‘getting back in’ was no where near as challenging as I had imagined it would be and I found the temperature of the water is still relatively comfortable.

There is no doubt that we are heading towards colder weather and cooler seas, but (at the time of writing) it doesn’t feel that winter has arrived yet – and, standing in the sunshine after my swim today, the sun still felt warm on my back. I was grateful for that and grateful for the joyous company of the friends I swam with and chatted to. And I was happy to know that I was also increasing the elasticity of my arteries, of my brain and of my muscles and joints!

The 5 ways to Well Being (New Economics Foundation, 2008) are Be Active, Keep Learning, Connect with Others, Pay attention to the Moment, Be Grateful and Kind – and Just Keep Swimming.

November 5th 2023 – Sea Temperature 10 degrees

References

Aked, J., Marks, N., Cordon, C., & Thompson, S. (2008) Five Ways To Wellbeing, New Economics Foundation

Amen Corner (1968) Bend Me Shape Me, from the album Round Amen Corner, Dream Records

Dylan, B (1976) One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below), from the album Desire, Columbia Records.

Heid, M. (2017) Why Swimming Is So Good For You, TIME Magazine, March 2nd 2017

Marcin, A. (2017) What Are The Top 12 Benefits of Swimming, Healthline.com

Madonna (2015) Wash All Over Me, from the album Rebel Heart, Maverick

Moseley, M. (2023) Just One Thing, BBC Radio 4
Moseley, M. (2023) Just One Thing, Octopus Publishing Group

Oliver, B. (2021), “Cold water swimming for well-being“, Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 105-110. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-02-2021-0027

Paulling, D, (2019) ‘Why Swimming Might Be The Best Form Of Exercise You Can Do‘, USMS.org