Joining a Swimming Club During Perimenopause: What to Expect and Why It Helps
Thinking about joining a swimming club during perimenopause? Learn how structured group swimming supports mood, sleep, joint health, and social wellbeing in midlife.
Swimming as a Perimenopause-Friendly Exercise
Swimming stands out among exercise options for women in perimenopause for several reasons. It is non-weight-bearing, which means joints absorb far less impact than they do during running or high-intensity classes. It works the cardiovascular system effectively without generating excessive body heat, which matters enormously for women dealing with hot flashes. The resistance of water provides a strength-building stimulus across the whole body, and the rhythmic breathing required creates a natural, repetitive focus that many women find calming. All of these qualities make it an excellent choice during a life stage when exercise needs to be both effective and sustainable.
What a Swimming Club Actually Offers
Many women swim lengths in their local pool without ever considering a club, but the structure a club provides is genuinely different. Sessions are coached, which means technique is actively improved rather than ingrained bad habits reinforced over years. Sets are planned so that each session has variety, purpose, and progression, rather than the repetitive monotony that makes solo swimming feel like a chore. Club sessions also impose a useful social contract: you turn up because others are expecting you, and that external accountability is one of the most reliable tools for maintaining any exercise habit. Adult swimming clubs and Masters swimming groups exist in most towns, and many actively recruit people who have not swum competitively since school or who are entirely new to structured training.
Hot Flashes, Overheating, and the Pool
One of the consistent complaints women have about exercise during perimenopause is that anything which raises body temperature can trigger or worsen hot flashes. Swimming is one of the few activities where the environment actively works against overheating. Pool water, typically between 27 and 29 degrees Celsius, constantly draws heat away from the body during exercise. Women who find spin classes, HIIT sessions, and even brisk walking in summer uncomfortable due to heat symptoms often find that swimming is the one form of vigorous exercise they can complete without triggering a flash. This alone makes it worth exploring if heat is currently stopping you from exercising as much as you would like.
The Mental Health Benefits of Group Swimming
Exercise in general is well-established as a mood regulator, but group exercise carries additional psychological benefits beyond the purely physical. Belonging to a club creates a sense of shared identity and purpose. The pool becomes a place associated with a version of yourself that is capable, consistent, and socially connected. For women who experience the identity disruption that perimenopause can bring, having a regular group where you are known and expected makes a real difference. The banter before and after a session, the shared groans at a particularly tough set, and the post-swim coffee ritual that many clubs build into their routines all contribute to a sense of community that is hard to replicate elsewhere.
Bone Density: an Honest Conversation
One thing swimming does not do is improve bone density. Because it is non-weight-bearing, it provides no mechanical load on the skeleton, which means it does not stimulate the bone remodelling that reduces fracture risk in later life. This is not a reason to avoid it. It is a reason to pair it with something weight-bearing if bone health is a priority, which for most women in perimenopause it should be. A twice-weekly swim club session combined with one or two weight training or brisk walking sessions covers both bases well. Knowing this from the start allows you to build a complete exercise plan rather than discovering a gap later.
Practical Considerations Before You Join
Most Masters or adult swimming clubs hold a short trial session or assessment to place you in an appropriate lane. This is not a test to pass or fail; it is simply a way to ensure you are swimming with people at a similar level so sessions are enjoyable for everyone. You will need a well-fitting costume that stays in place during flip turns if the club trains with turns, goggles, and a swim cap if the pool requires one. Many clubs have a small annual membership fee plus a per-session cost, making them one of the more affordable exercise options available. Searching for your nearest Amateur Swimming Association affiliated club is the most reliable starting point.
Tracking Your Progress and Wellbeing
Structured swimming generates clear progress data: your times for a given set, the number of lengths you complete, how your breathing feels over a session. That tangible progression is motivating in a way that undifferentiated wellness activities often are not. Alongside workout tracking, logging your symptoms and mood in an app like PeriPlan lets you identify patterns between your training schedule and how you feel day to day. Many women notice that swim days correlate with lower anxiety scores and improved sleep ratings. Seeing those patterns reinforced over weeks makes it easier to prioritise training even on days when motivation is low, which is exactly when the habit matters most.
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