One question I often get asked by my fellow swimmers is, what’s better for you, swimming in a pool or out in the open? Of course both have pros and cons with both providing great physical and mental health benefits. Over the last ten years I have incorporated swimming into my daily life for fitness and leisure and have had the opportunity to swim all over the world, out in the open and also in many pools. Throughout this article I will speak about benefits for both and compare the two. Giving you my answer to what I believe is better to swim in, but also leaving the debate open ended so you can make your own decision on what you think is more beneficial for you.
Water clarity
One of the main pros of the pool which open water isn’t guaranteed to have is crystal clear water. Depending on where you are in the world you may have clear water to swim through, but it is likely if swimming out in the open the water can be murky. Murky water can be an issue if you are swimming in an unknown area, hiding any submerged objects such as sticks or sea defences that can be hazardous. However murky water doesn’t necessarily mean polluted. Some of the best water in the world is murky and packed with minerals that have huge health benefits for your skin.
Water temperature
Most swimming pools regulate the water temperature and is roughly kept the same all year round. A big benefit if your not into those cold water dips in the middle of winter. If wanting to just get in and pace some lengths in the pool without having to acclimiatize every time, then the pool is a better choice. However in recent years it has been discovered that swimming through cold water can have huge mental and physical health benefits. Check out Top 7 Cold water swimming benefits (2021) for a more in depth list of benefits that come with swimming in the cold. A big fear for us all is ageing and being in fear of what might happen to our own minds. Recent studies have also shown that cold water shock can help counteract dementia, Cold water Swimming and dementia, click the link to find out more.
Along with the benefits of cold water Swimming, for me feeling the cold is something that makes me feel alive and boosts me with energy, perhaps it’s just a little more exciting than the pool, that’s my opinion anyway.
Water chop
Most swimming pools have overfill drains that take the waves out of the water when people are swimming and splashing around. This generally makes it easier to swim in a pool as there is less turbulence that throws you around in the pool when gliding through. A huge benefit if wanting to perfect your technique or you’re just learning to swim.
Although open water can sometimes be flat, it is exposed to the elements, the main ones being wind and swell if out in the sea. Choppy conditions can make a swim more difficult, particularly making it difficult to get into a rhythm with your strokes. Yes this is challenging, but it’s super fun! For me there is no better feeling than being immersed in choppy or wavey water, it is like taking a free rollercoaster ride from nature. Check out How to swim through waves for more detail.
Scenery
Swimming every day at a local swimming pool might very quickly become tedious, probably because you’re looking down at the same painted line at the bottom of your lane and same four walls that haven’t seen a lick of paint for the last ten years. This is where the outside really ticks a big box that pool swimming can not. Being in the great outdoors is a forever changing environment. These scenic changes can really help with your motivation and drive to get in the water.
Chemicals
Although your local pool has nice clear water it is full of chemicals and chlorine. Proven to not be harmful in small doses the idea of swimming through this can still be off putting. Swimming outside, you have more chance of swimming in cleaner water, however some bodies of water are of course polluted. There are government websites and apps you can download to check your local area.
Confidence
if you lack confidence with your swimming then being in a pool is for sure a great environment to build that. Having the ability to stand up and hold onto the side is a reassuring factor, something that open water swimming won’t offer. If you are new to swimming and are learning to swim in open water then check out Swim safety tips for more information.
Is it harder to swim in the pool or out in the open?
As mentioned above I have been swimming for 10 years in pools and in open water. This has given me enough time to formulate an educated opinion to which is harder, the pool or open water. It is my belief that open water is generally harder to swim in for multiple reasons. One of the main ones is how wavey the water can be out in the open. This really can take some getting use to. Although tougher swimming out in the open, this will make for a more competent and well rounded swimmer.
Conclusion
Having read through the above it is clear to see that there really is pros and cons for pool and open water swimming. However overall open water swimming is much more varied offering more excitement and general health benefits more so than sticking to a pool. Having a challenging environment to swim in and enjoy will prevent you from getting bored and keep your swim exciting. Get yourself out in the open and enjoy the wild. IT’S FREE !
Like always here at Feel Alive Outside we love to hear your feedback, so please feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for reading.
