How to Make Your Swim Workout a Mood Booster

If you’ve been feeling stressed, anxious, or just plain down in the dumps, you’re not alone. The world is a lot right now, and many of us are fighting to just keep our heads above water when it comes to mental health.

But being a swimmer can be a big advantage during trying times because swimming can help keep your spirits up and depression at bay better than some other lifestyle interventions or physical practices.

An ever-growing body of research shows that physical activity is one of the best ways to boost mood, alleviate anxiety, and manage depression.

“Exercise reduces stress hormones and improves sleep quality, which both contribute to improved mental health,” explains Amerigo Rossi, Ed.D., Director of the Exercise and Sport Science, M.S. program at New York Institute of Technology.

And while any type of physical activity can boost your mood, you may get more bang for your buck with swimming, “because the rhythmic breathing and weightlessness can reduce anxiety,” Rossi notes.

In addition, just being immersed in water, especially cool or cold water, can help boost mood by reducing levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) and alleviating negative mood.

A Whole Mind-Body Workout

“Swimming is one of the best exercises for long-term health because it’s low impact, strengthens the entire body, maintains range of motion, and maintains cardiovascular health,” Rossi says.

But you must make it a habit to reap those benefits. The same is true when leveraging swimming to boost your mental health.

To do that, Rossi recommends “finding joy in the water by trying new types of workouts, training with partners, and practicing mindfulness while swimming so that you will be more likely to be consistent through the years.”

To optimize your workouts to support a better, more positive mood and mindset, focus on these tips:

• Boost the intensity. Getting your heart rate up gets you moving and can buoy your spirits. Moderate intensity (60% to 70% effort) may be best for stress relief and long-term mood improvement while high intensity interval training (80% to 100% effort) increases the release of endorphins and adrenaline, which could also change your mood and outlook. One 2019 study suggested that while moderate intensity training is effective in improving mood, HIIT training is even better at alleviating symptoms of depression. Another study showed that vigorous exercise generated stress hormones that can help you become more resilient in the face of subsequent psychosocial stressors.
• Swim with others. In addition to the physical aspects of swimming, there’s a social element to Masters swimming that can be especially supportive of good mental health. Find a group of swimmers with similar abilities and make plans to meet up regularly. Adding this social aspect can help boost oxytocin (the so-called “love hormone” that’s boosted through social connection) and overall happiness.
• Control your breathing. Meditation, which has a long history of supporting good mental health, involves a lot of breath work, which has been shown to reduce stress and boost mood. You can mimic some of these effects by controlling how you breathe in swimming. Inhale through the mouth and exhale steadily underwater to help regulate the nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety.
• Get outside. Swimming outdoors, either in an open-air pool or in open water, increases your exposure to sunlight. This can boost serotonin and vitamin D levels, both of which can support positive mood. And even if you don’t have a long time to spend outside, getting outdoors for short periods can still significantly boost your mood.
• Be mindful. When swimming, focus on the sensation of the water on your skin, the rhythm of your strokes, and the flow of your breath. This can help turn your workout into a moving meditation; meditation and mindfulness practices have been repeatedly shown to improve mental health and support positive mood.
• Practice gratitude. Consider this: swimming is something you GET to do, unlike so many other things in your day that you HAVE TO do. Having that time to swim, be with your lane mates, and focus on your breathing is something to be grateful for. And it’s been shown that counting your blessings can help put you in a more positive frame of mind and boost your mood.