ADD LENGTHS TO YOUR LIFE

It’s time to bring your Speedos out of retirement. A tide of new research suggests you’ll stay in the race longer if you swim for it

Steel your heart against wear and tear by taking your training to the deep end

Your unwavering devotion to pounding the pavements is admirable, but clocking miles on the road is not the smartest strategy for protecting your joints further down the track. You’ll earn the same fitness gains emulating Michael Phelps as you would Mo Farah – but swimming also sets you up with a raft of life-prolonging benefits. Researchers at the University of South Carolina studied a large sample of men aged between 20 and 90 over 32 years. They found that those who swam had a 50% lower mortality rate compared to runners, walkers and those who didn’t exercise at all. That’s surely reason enough to take the plunge.

The life-lengthening impact of swimming is best explained by a study published in Plos One, which found that water-based workouts are more effective at lowering blood pressure and improving vascular function than landlocked activities. Blood pressure decreases because immersion relaxes the blood vessels, enabling them to carry more blood and ease your heart’s workload.

But the benefits don’t stop there. While it’s true that fitness gurus have long recommended aquatic exercise as a jointfriendly alternative to jogging, the science goes much deeper. The wide range of motion required for each stroke (combined with the fact that water is far denser than air) helps to strengthen and mobilise joints to stave off age-related disability, increasing your healthspan – not just your longevity. An extended, healthier life and an opportunity to dig out the budgie smugglers? You’d best dive in.