PERSONAL HEALTH
The lurking menaces that await swimmers
Waterborne diseases, allergies and other nasties can pose a big threat to the unwary
- Published: 19/07/2011 at 08:56 AM
- Newspaper section: Mylife
I learned to swim at age 3 at Brighton Beach in New York, where each morning, June to October, my father swam freestyle back and forth between the rock jetties. Summering near water was a family essential as I was growing up, a pleasure I carried into adulthood. For more than 30 summers, I swam daily from Minnesota to Wisconsin and back against the current of the scenic St Croix River. In my 40s, I joined the local YMCA so I could swim year-round.
Swimming is the second most popular sports activity in this US (after walking), replete with health benefits. Swimmers have about half the risk of death of inactive people. Swimming can improve both mental and physical wellbeing, and it is ideal for people with chronic ailments like arthritis, fibromyalgia, anxiety disorders and physical disabilities _ not to mention the temporary relief from gravity it can bring to pregnant women.
For me, swimming is also a meditation exercise; with nothing but the water to distract me, I get some of my best ideas while swimming laps. Dr Oliver Sacks, the neurologist and best-selling author, wrote in an autobiographical essay called ``Water Babies'' that the mind-altering properties of swimming can inspire as nothing else can.
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About the author
- Writer: Jane E. Brody
