Restart outdoor swimming

Outdoor swimming has great mental health benefits and can be easily done with social distancing. It would be great if clarification could be provided that it is allowed.

Why the contribution is important

Good health benefits - especially mental health

by Swimmersooz on May 07, 2020 at 08:59PM

Current Rating

Average rating: 4.6
Based on: 37 votes

Comments

  • Posted by angelamcd May 07, 2020 at 21:11

    how can you control this ,not a good idea

  • Posted by Edie May 07, 2020 at 22:20

    It should be possible to allow clubs to open outdoor pools with safe distancing and a system for regulating entry. Chlorine should kill the virus.
    Associated cafes and lounges could remain closed.

  • Posted by DebbieD May 08, 2020 at 07:22

    Clarification on this and inshore paddle boarding would be good

  • Posted by Elliemay662 May 08, 2020 at 09:16

    Open water swimming with appropriate social distancing should be permitted. It’s is great exercise and proven beneficial for mental health.

  • Posted by ddougw May 08, 2020 at 10:30

    This must be a priority, many people can no longer do load bearing exercise. Swimming is the activity which allows exercise benefitting their physical and mental health. Social distancing in the sea/ loch could not be easier. How do you control it? With trust.

  • Posted by Squib May 08, 2020 at 10:47

    Swimming is not only safer than cycling and jogging, it is also much easier to retain social distance (few people brave the cold water and a river is much wider than a footpath). It's very depressing not being able swim when the sun is out. Please let us swim before winter returns!

  • Posted by Swimmersooz May 08, 2020 at 18:02

    I should have specified that I am an experienced cold water swimmer and am recommending that it is clarified by the Scottish Government and RNLI that experienced swimmers should be permitted to restart swimming and to drive short distances to do so. I agree it’s not the ideal time for people who are new to it to start. As someone who had swim through 3 Scottish winters I know what I’m doing and why safety precautions to take.

  • Posted by apple4me May 08, 2020 at 23:18

    Totally agree. Open water swimming should be allowed. I have been outdoor swimming regularly for the past 6 years for health. I have fibromyalgia and cold water swimming is the best form of self-management and self-medication for my condition. Since lockdown I've had to start taking strong prescription painkillers again (Tramadol) with side-effects. If I could swim I'd be fine. Same for those who do it to manage depression, anxiety and arthritis.

  • Posted by StephanieDK May 09, 2020 at 07:41

    Open water swimming is of great benefit for ones physical and mental health.
    By allowing people to drive short distances, one can swim in locations with less “tourists” and walkers and hereby avoid to inspire people to jump into the water as well, who are less prepared and competent to do so.
    It is safe to swim in open water, provided you swim in a group.
    Please note that swimming in a group will not prohibit social distancing, as it comes naturally that you keep a distance to the others while swimming in order to be able to swim properly.

  • Posted by Alina May 09, 2020 at 07:54

    Swimming in open waters, is for some the way and most important outdoors activity to keep fit and sane. While maybe but the time for starters, for those with experience is a safe activity where social distancing is kept by that nature itself of the sport, enhanced now by awareness. I couldn't find any report on evidence Covid19 can be transmitted through (mostly sea) water. It's not less important to consider that healthier, fitter people, will be in a better position if at some point is hallenged naturally by the virus. Please allow open waters free swimming to go ahead.

  • Posted by JillT May 09, 2020 at 08:46

    Outdoor swimming is excellent excellent for physical and mental wellbeing. Social distancing would be easy and generally people swim where there are few others as part of the draw of the sport is the escapism. From a safety point of view everyone I have met swimming is well aware of their own limitations and takes appropriate safety precautions.

  • Posted by KWebb May 09, 2020 at 09:40

    I also swim all year round and am an experienced outdoor swimmer. Over the past 8 years it has been a saviour for me in terms of mental health. Even a short dip can make a massive difference - which is why I continue over winter when a short dip is the only option! I usually swim in my local harbour which is very safe. Some of us continued to do so having short dips close to the shore in the safety of the harbour posing no risk, but a very unpleasant local individual has made that impossible by lecturing people when they do so. He has forced local regular swimmers to take much greater risks by seeking out isolated spots which would be far more dangerous if anything should happen. I have not actually seen it stated that people cannot swim outdoors (socially distanced) and I have not heard of any swimmers being fined.

  • Posted by SAntill May 09, 2020 at 10:30

    It should, on the whole, be fairly easy to maintain social distancing while doing open water swims. It would be wise to ensure you stay well within your limits and also not travelling too far afield.

  • Posted by kwebb209 May 09, 2020 at 13:12

    I regularly go for swims in the sea. I’m a medical student who find the work a lot and often very stressful. Swimming in the sea has had huge benefits to my mental health by allowing me to exercise whilst also clearing my mind. Due to another medical problem I am unable to run which is why swimming is my main form of exercise.

  • Posted by lizacole May 09, 2020 at 16:19

    Yes, a non weight bearing form of exercise, and good for mental health too.

  • Posted by George1903 May 09, 2020 at 16:20

    I swim a round 3 times per week in the sea/rivers/lochs and feel this is so important for my physical and mental health. I will also regularly swim with other people. I am very much aware of safety and consider these factors when I swim (tides, sea temperature, entry and exit points). I feel that open water swimming also ensures that social distancing can be easily maintained. I do wonder that prohibiting such an activity will drive people to swim in less accessible spots which then means that people are more at risk if they are swimming in unfamiliar spots.

  • Posted by UmaT May 09, 2020 at 16:31

    For those of us lucky enough to live near a safe body of water I cannot see why an experienced person who swims within their limits should present a greater risk of virus transmission than other, currently allowed , activities. Swimming is the main form of exercise for some people and it is detrimental to their health to not be able to swim.

  • Posted by rodlees1 May 10, 2020 at 04:30

    I totally agree with JillT.
    Experienced swimmers should be allowed to swim in the sea and in lochs as before on the understanding that they take a responsible attitude to the length of drive to their chosen location and social distancing whilst in the water (easy to do) and changing prior to swimmimg. Swimming pools are another matter..

  • Posted by Izzywizz May 10, 2020 at 17:29

    As long as we choose an appropiate place, do not venture far from home or far from the shore and keep well away from others the physical and mental health benefits of outdoor swimming surely outweigh the risks of transmitting Covid19?

  • Posted by mellow May 11, 2020 at 12:56

    I swim regularly in the sea and run a local wild swimming group. I also work in mental health in the NHS. For me, and many others I know, it is an essential part of my mental health support toolkit. Any activity that isn't sanctioned by the government makes it a more stressful experience in that any person can walk past and criticise us. This outweighs s the benefits for some and I know people who are really struggling without it. I always swim at places I know why, walkable from my home, stay in my depth, have swam through the winter so know the temperature isn't an issue and it's safer than me on a bike! It also helps with inflammation of joints and I have friends with other physical health conditions that are improved by wild swimming.

  • Posted by Jamtart1874 May 11, 2020 at 13:31

    For experienced swimmers, with the correct safety equipment (bright swimcaps, tow floats) I think outdoor swimming is essential. Many people who swim regularly report on the mental health benefits from swimming outdoors. Now more than ever this is needed.
    There are also the obvious physical health benefits, and the fact swImmediately no outdoors is easier to perform social distancing than many other outdoor activities.

  • Posted by ALauder May 11, 2020 at 13:33

    Open water swimming is a form of exercise the same as walking and cycling. This should be permitted with social distancing rules being applied at all times

  • Posted by SwimmerBoy May 11, 2020 at 13:57

    My mental health has taken a huge nosedive since being restricted from swimming. (I use a mood tracking app and can see the exact date of my last swim and the decrease since then)
    I know for a fact I'm not the only one that feels like this. There are Facebook pages, internet forums and various other social media platforms filled with swimmers lamenting their lost sanctuaries.
    Not only is outdoor swimming great for people's physical health but it is hugely important for some people's mental health as well. And many people who choose to swim do so because other means of exercise cause more issues than they solve!
    Outdoor swimming is easier to maintain social distancing than pretty much any other sport: a recent study by a leading Italian university lists it as one of the best sports for minimising the risk of viral transmission.
    as for worries that it is hard to control, what needs to be controlled? People stay away from each other and it's easier to do that in a river than it is in a shop, but we aren't requesting more control in shops?!

  • Posted by Sedling May 11, 2020 at 14:39

    I support wild swimming for experienced outdoor swimmers.

  • Posted by Deepcdiver1 May 11, 2020 at 14:55

    Out door swimming, lochs, lakes, water falls, rivers and the sea. Any where out doors. The benifits of outdoor swimming are numerous , physical fitness, strengthening the immune system ,mental health well being ,to name a few. The social distancing can be managed well. Folk who swim out doors are well used to making risk assesments re. Location, tides, currents and whether conditions , and swimming within in their capabilities while keeping social distance in the water and on shore would be included in any responsible swimmers own risk assesment. I see no reason for any one to be stopped from swimming out doors.

  • Posted by Deepcdiver1 May 11, 2020 at 14:56

    Out door swimming, lochs, lakes, water falls, rivers and the sea. Any where out doors. The benifits of outdoor swimming are numerous , physical fitness, strengthening the immune system ,mental health well being ,to name a few. The social distancing can be managed well. Folk who swim out doors are well used to making risk assesments re. Location, tides, currents and whether conditions , and swimming within in their capabilities while keeping social distance in the water and on shore would be included in any responsible swimmers own risk assesment. I see no reason for any one to be stopped from swimming out doors.

  • Posted by Splash_u May 11, 2020 at 16:06

    Outdoor swimming is extremely beneficial for mental and physical wellbeing and helps strengthen the immune system. It is easy to follow social distancing guidelines while swimming in open water, much more so than trying to run or even walk on busy pavements.
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