28/06/2026
I swim most days. If I don’t, I feel a little grouchy. Over the years, I’ve been amazed at the difference between a pre-swim and a post-swim for my body and brain. If I feel tired and sluggish before a swim, afterwards my brain feels relaxed and at the same time full of energy, colour and ideas - why is this the case? Research over the last 20-plus years illustrates that swimming is such an amazing wellbeing hack.
Why is this the case? This Winter in Sydney, I’ll be a regular at Icebergs Bondi, Bronte and Wylies Baths Coogee.
Research over the last 20-plus years illustrates that swimming is such an amazing wellbeing hack — and unlike most forms of exercise, it works on three levels simultaneously.
Breath - Every stroke involves a natural retention—a moment when you hold, then release. This rhythmic pattern activates the vagus nerve, regulates cortisol, and gradually trains your nervous system toward calm. You're not just swimming. You're doing breathwork without thinking about it.
Body awareness - Swimming is one of the few activities that demands constant interoception — reading your internal signals in real time. Buoyancy, resistance, stroke timing, fatigue. Neuroscientists like Richard Davidson link this capacity directly to emotional intelligence. The same skill that makes you a better swimmer may make you better at noticing your own emotional state before it runs the show.
EMG research into the mind-muscle connection — including studies by Brad Schoenfeld — shows that consciously directing attention to a specific muscle during movement produces measurably greater muscle activation. Swimmers do this instinctively. Focus on your catch, your hip rotation, your kick — and the neuromuscular response intensifies. Your brain and body are communicating with each other , stroke by stroke.
Brain enhancement - Bilateral, rhythmic, zero-impact movement is one of the most powerful drivers of BDNF — brain-derived neurotrophic factor, sometimes called "Miracle-Gro for the brain." Studies show swimmers have improved memory, faster processing speed, and lower rates of anxiety and depression.
Check out our wellbeing programs at Breathe Australia in the comments :)
