Who's still swimming and why it's the best exercise as we age

Here’s a fact that surprised me: you burn more calories in 30 minutes of swimming breaststroke (367) than you do running 5km in that time (300).

"I think people underestimate how good swimming is as exercise because you don’t feel sweaty," says orthopaedic surgeon and swimming advocate Professor Scarlett McNally.

Aside from calories, swimming is proven to lower blood pressure, boost lung capacity and flexibility, improve sleep, and reduce the risk of dementia and stroke by 30% (and Type 2 diabetes by 40%). And all while protecting joints from impact. Could there be a more perfect exercise for ageing bodies?

It’s clear a good proportion of Saga customers have got the message: 27% of the 2,301 people we polled swim regularly (twice a month or more), which is way more than the national average of 8% of over-55s. One in five are so dedicated they swim at least once a week (21% of women and 15% of men).

"I think people underestimate how good swimming is as exercise because you don’t feel sweaty"

But what about the rest? Although nine out of ten respondents were able to swim, many – especially those in their 70s and older – felt their generation wasn’t taught well (one said ‘lessons’ entailed being chucked into the sea).

This may explain why 72% say they swim less now than they did as younger adults. Some (37%) admit they are put off by the faff of getting dried and dressed.

However, the evangelists are out to convert you. A recent study of unfit over-55s showed that two 45-minute swims a week for eight weeks resulted in huge cardiovascular gains, including perkier arteries and better blood flow.

"New papers have also shown that swimming reduces osteoporosis, falls and fractures because the pull of the muscles on bones strengthens the bones," says Professor McNally. "In the old days, it was thought you needed weight-bearing exercise for this."

The most popular venue for Saga swimmers is the local council pool (39% use them), and therein lies a problem: almost 450 pools have closed since 2010, 68 alone since the pandemic; 82% of our respondents were worried about the effect of local council cuts.

"There was an explosion of pool-building 40 or 50 years ago, so you’ve got a whole generation of pools at the end of their natural life and we haven’t been replacing them at an adequate rate," says Philip Brownlie at Swim England.

A fifth (22%) of Saga customers ‘wild’ swim, mostly in the sea – although it’s more popular with younger cohorts (27% in their 50s do it), and with men (26% of men versus 18% of women). An extremely hardy 1% go every day, and 16% go more than once a month.

You get all the health benefits of swimming, plus the added bonuses of cold water, the exposure – quite literally – to nature, and the bonding aspect.

"It just makes you feel alive," says retired nurse Carolyn Heaps (pictured above, centre), 66, who co-founded Silver Dippers in Eastbourne, East Sussex, during the first Covid winter. Her group now has 40 women members aged 55-78.

"We are a bit bionic, really – I’ve had two new knees and one shoulder – but we all love it," she says. "We have found such wonderful friendships and have so many laughs."

"We do it because we jolly well can!"

They do worry about sewage in the water, though (this puts off 53% of Saga customers, too).

"If it looks grotty or smells horrible we don’t go in – we’ve seen what looks very much like sewage during our swims," says Heaps.

They use the Surfers Against Sewage app to track water cleanliness, but if they get the all-clear, there’s no stopping them.

"You go down to the sea with the cares of the day, you get in the water and all your worries melt away," she adds.

"On a full moon, we even do a little skinny dip when it’s dark and maybe have a little tot of ginger whisky afterwards. We do it because we jolly well can!"