Learn the Benefits of Swimming for Women Through Pregnancy and Postpartum
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we are diving into the research-backed benefits of swimming for women throughout every stage of life.
Beyond the obvious fitness benefits, swimming provides unique advantages for women’s changing bodies and busy minds. We’ve gathered the best research on swimming’s impact on women’s physical and mental health, along with real-world wisdom from DC fitness coach and WeAquatics mom!
Why is Swimming So Beneficial for Women’s Bodies?
Swimming is one of the most complete forms of exercise available to women. Unlike high-impact activities that can put too much strain on our joints, swimming provides a full-body workout while remaining a gentle form of exercise.
The Cardiovascular Advantage
Swimming is amazing for women’s hearts. When researchers studied postmenopausal women with high blood pressure who took up swimming, they discovered something remarkable: women swimmers not only lowered their blood pressure but also made their arteries more flexible. They also increased the efficiency with which their bodies used oxygen.
This is important because many women worry about heart health as they age but find running or jumping activities too hard on their joints. The water supports your body weight, letting you get your heart pumping without the pounding that comes with land exercises.
You can work hard in the pool without the next-day soreness that might keep you from coming back.
Strength Without Strain
Katie Makris, a three-time Ironman finisher and mother of two who coaches women through various phases of life and athletic experience, noticed significant improvements in her overall fitness through swimming.
She explains that while she was initially skeptical that swimming would help her running performance, she found that consistent swimming sessions made a substantial difference in her athletic capabilities.
This balanced approach to strength-building makes swimming one of the best exercise choices for women who want to maintain or build muscle without risking injury— during any stage of life.
Body Composition Benefits
For women concerned about maintaining a healthy weight, swimming offers significant benefits. Research on women aged 25-35 demonstrated that regular swimming helps reduce body weight, body mass index, and visceral fat while increasing the body’s aerobic capacity. The most curious part about this study is that it included women without prior experience in sports, meaning that you don’t need to be an athlete to reap the benefits of swimming.
What makes swimming special is how it accomplishes these changes— through gentle, supported movement that works with a woman’s body rather than against it.
Benefits of Swimming for Women Through Life’s Transitions
A woman’s body will go through many incredible transitions throughout her life— from monthly hormonal cycles to physical changes in possible pregnancy and postpartum, and eventually menopause. Swimming for women can offer unique benefits through each of these life stages.
Swimming During Pregnancy
Katie Makris, who trained throughout her pregnancy, often recommends swimming to expectant mothers. She notes, “For swimming, I often recommend it. You know, the challenge sometimes is finding a pool, finding pool hours that work for you, finding childcare if you’re a stay-at-home mom or you’re on maternity leave and don’t have as many options during those hours, but getting back into the pool and starting to work on your fitness that way is a great way to complement other sports too.”
Research supports her recommendations— Swimming during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of preeclampsia by improving blood circulation and reducing inflammation.
The relief many women swimmers experience during pregnancy cannot be underestimated. Ask any mom who swam while pregnant, and she’ll likely tell you about the magical feeling of weightlessness in the water.
After months of carrying extra pounds and pressure on joints, slipping into a pool offers immediate relief. The water gently lifts the baby’s weight off the spine and pelvis, giving expectant mothers precious moments of comfort that can be hard to find elsewhere during those final months.
Postpartum Recovery in Water
Katie offers valuable insights on this transition period: “After pregnancy, when you’re postpartum, a lot of times we do that six-week checkup and where they clear you for exercise, but there’s not always a lot of guidance given. So some women will try to jump straight back into high-intensity work, kind of forgetting that we wouldn’t do that after a major surgery.”
She continues, “Getting back into the pool and starting to work on your fitness that way is a great way to complement other sports too, but also just get started with something that’s not going to have the same level of impact. So whereas jumping straight back into running can do a lot with your pelvic floor, people forget what a high impact sport running is.”
Swimming provides a gentle re-entry into exercise, allowing new mothers to rebuild strength and endurance without risking injury.
Swimming Through Menopause & Beyond
The benefits of swimming for women extend into later life stages as well. Research on postmenopausal women reveals that swimming can improve bone mineral density, which is particularly beneficial for women with osteoporosis.
For women with frustrating menopause symptoms like hot flashes and joint pain, the water’s cooling effect combined with low-impact movement can provide a lot of relief while building strength and improving cardiovascular health.
How Swimming Benefits Women’s Mental Health
One of the more remarkable benefits of swimming for women is that it extends beyond the physical realm to mental and emotional well-being.
The Meditative Effect
Katie describes swimming’s unique mental health benefits: “I think that that helps people, for better or for worse. You’re kind of in your thoughts for a little while, but I think it really helps you kind of clear your mind.” She also appreciates that, unlike other forms of exercise, swimming offers freedom from digital distractions, saying, “You can’t be on your phone.”
Research confirms this experience, with studies showing significant mood improvements, including anxiety and depression, following swimming sessions.
Swimming Through Stress & Anxiety
For women balancing multiple responsibilities, swimming offers a powerful stress-reduction tool. Studies of women who swim in cold water report significant mental health benefits and stress reduction.
The immersive nature of swimming creates a unique environment where external pressures temporarily fade away, allowing space for mental clarity and emotional processing.
Building Community in Water
Katie highlights the social benefits of swimming for women, especially new mothers: “A lot of my clients really enjoy going to Masters groups. Granted, in master’s groups, you are divided out, but you’re still with people in one place. There’s a social aspect to it that a lot of people tend to start missing postpartum. It can be a little bit isolating.”
Research on women-only swimming environments supports this, showing they create important spaces of belonging where women feel comfortable, safe, and connected to their well-being.
Finding Your Lane: Starting or Returning to Swimming for Women
Katie offers encouraging advice based on her experience as a swimmer and coach to women who are looking to begin or return to swimming.
Getting Started at Any Age
“There’s no age that it’s too late to learn,” Katie shares. “My own mom taught herself— at 70, she decided to start swimming and couldn’t make it across the pool completely the first time she went in, and now she swims like 2000 yards six days a week.”
This inspiring example demonstrates that swimming truly is accessible to women at any life stage. For beginners, Katie recommends: “If you’re an adult and you’ve never really swam, definitely take a Learn-to-Swim class.”
Returning After a Break
For women who swam earlier in life but have taken a break, Katie suggests beginning with form assessment: “Getting in and starting to build some distance back, another thing I recommend to people is getting a form assessment, so a lesson, or a few lessons where someone analyzes your form, gives you some things to work on, you’ll see efficiency gains very quickly if you do those suggestions, that can help build confidence.”
Dive Into Swimming with WeAquatics
Still need encouragement to jump in the water?
Katie emphasizes the importance of taking the first step to join a swimming group. She notes that while starting solo can build confidence, “there’s never going to be a perfect time to start with a group. You sort of have to rip the band-aid off at some point and just commit.”
Ready to experience these benefits for yourself? WeAquatics offers programs designed to meet women where they are, from Learn-to-Swim classes for beginners to Adult Masters for those looking to enhance their skills in a group setting.
Contact us today to begin your swimming journey and discover the incredible benefits awaiting you.
