Why Swimming Is The Best Exercise For Your Brain

By Marie Bladt

August 8, 2024

We’ve all heard about the benefits of swimming for our bodies, but new research proves that they go way beyond just toning our muscles. As it turns out, swimming is also incredibly beneficial for the brain.

“Regular swimming has been shown to improve memory, cognitive function, immune response, and mood,” explains Dr. Seena Mathew, a neurobiologist who focuses on brain physiology at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. “Swimming may also help to repair damage caused by stress and establish new neuronal connections in the brain. People have been searching for a fountain of youth for centuries. Swimming may be the closest thing.”

Aerobic exercise for the body and the brain

The fountain of youth in the form of exercise? Not exactly a new concept, but a worthwhile one nonetheless. Here’s how it works.

In sports, the terms “anaerobic” and “aerobic” refer to the amount of oxygen the body uses while engaging in certain activities. Anaerobic exercises, for example, include activities that allow for bursts of intensity over short periods of time—activities like HIIT, weight training, and tabata. These require very little oxygen and rely on glucose in the blood for energy; they’re the kind of activities that cause you to quickly become “out of breath.”

Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, are those that feature moderate intensity over longer periods of time: activities like dancing, running, and—you guessed it—swimming. These activities are excellent for the cardiorespiratory system as they feed the muscles with oxygen.

And, this is where the brain comes in. In addition to working on endurance, aerobic activities also contribute to neurogenesis—the birth of neurons—and “play a key role in helping to reverse or repair damage to neurons and their connections,” says Mathew. Neural plasticity is stimulated, and with it, cognitive functions—particularly those linked to memory and learning. As an added bonus, researchers have also observed benefits for mental health. “Aerobic exercise promotes the release of specific chemical messengers called neurotransmitters,” explains Mathew. “One of these is serotonin, which, when present in increased amounts, is known to reduce depression and anxiety and improve mood.”

The benefits of swimming for the brain

Researchers are only just beginning to understand why, among these aerobic activities, swimming is particularly beneficial for the brain. What they do know is that you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to reap the benefits. A study on young adults found that even after just 20 minutes of moderate-intensity breaststroke, cognitive functions were improved.

Swimming improves memory

Just under half an hour of swimming can improve attention span, short- and long-term memory, and even reduce the cognitive effects of aging. “Swimming has been shown to stimulate brain pathways that suppress inflammation in the hippocampus and inhibit apoptosis, or cell death. The study also showed that swimming may contribute to neuronal survival and reduce the cognitive effects of aging,” one study has found.

Swimming boosts mood

Because swimming is a complete workout involving all the major muscle groups, it gets the heart pumping at full speed, increasing blood flow. “This leads to the creation of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis,” explains Mathew. “Increased blood flow can also lead to a significant release of endorphins, hormones that act as a natural pain reducer throughout the body. This surge leads to the feeling of euphoria that often follows exercise.”

Swimming boosts learning capacity

Swimming’s action on cell growth and the creation of neuronal connections also helps us to learn and store new information, and to remember it more accurately afterwards. Studies suggest that the “rhythmic muscular contraction during exercise seems to stimulate the growth of neurons in certain brain compartments,” which leads to the benefits above.

Of course, there are other obvious reasons that swimming benefits the brain. As Harvard Howard E. LeWine, MD, the Chief Medical Editor at Harvard Health Publishing puts it, swimming “involves constant thinking, processing, and learning. You have to be mindful of your breathing rhythm and how to properly execute strokes and kicks. You also can measure your expertise in terms of endurance and speed, which motivates you to practice your skills to be a better swimmer.”

Something to think about next time you’re paddling in the ocean or doing laps in the pool.