Swimming for Perimenopause: A Complete Guide to Getting Started and Seeing Results
Discover why swimming is ideal for perimenopause, the evidence for mood and cardiovascular health, joint pain relief in water, and how to build the habit.
Why Swimming Suits Perimenopause Particularly Well
Swimming combines properties that are hard to find in any other single exercise. It is genuinely low impact, meaning that water buoyancy supports up to 90 percent of body weight in chest-deep water, dramatically reducing the load on joints, spine, and connective tissue. It is full-body, activating the arms, legs, core, and back simultaneously. It is cooling, which is a real practical advantage for women managing hot flashes and night sweats who may find heated exercise environments triggering. It is also rhythmic and meditative, with the repetitive breathing pattern and sensory immersion producing a calm focus that many women find genuinely restorative. For perimenopausal women dealing with joint pain, fatigue, or heat sensitivity, swimming removes barriers that make other forms of exercise harder to maintain.
Evidence for Mood and Cardiovascular Health
The cardiovascular evidence for swimming in midlife women is strong. A 2018 study in the American Journal of Cardiology found that regular swimming was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality in women, with effects comparable to running but with lower injury risk. For mood, swimming has a well-established effect on reducing depression and anxiety through multiple mechanisms: endorphin release, reduced cortisol, improved sleep quality, and social connection if swimming in a group or class setting. A 2020 study in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice found that twice-weekly swimming sessions significantly improved menopausal symptom scores including mood, anxiety, and sleep across a 12-week period.
Joint Pain Relief in Water
Perimenopause-related joint pain, sometimes called musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause, affects a significant proportion of women in midlife and is linked to declining oestrogen's role in joint lubrication and inflammation regulation. Swimming is particularly valuable for joint pain because the buoyancy of water eliminates impact while still allowing a full range of motion and significant muscular work. Warm water pools in the range of 28 to 32 degrees Celsius additionally relax muscle tension around painful joints. For women with knee, hip, or lower back pain who have found running or gym-based exercise too painful to maintain, swimming often provides a route back to regular physical activity that preserves cardiovascular fitness and muscle strength without aggravating symptoms.
Practical Getting-Started Advice
If you have not swum regularly for some time, the first step is simply getting comfortable in the pool again before worrying about pace or distance. Book a lane swim session at a quieter time such as mid-morning on a weekday, and begin with 15 to 20 minutes of easy breaststroke or front crawl at a pace where you could hold a conversation. Build gradually over three to four weeks before adding speed or duration. If your technique is uncertain, a single one-to-one session with a swimming coach to check breathing and stroke mechanics is worth the investment; poor technique leads to neck and shoulder strain that undoes the low-impact benefit. Many leisure centres also offer adult improver sessions.
Pool vs Open Water Swimming
Pool swimming offers consistency, temperature control, and year-round access. It suits structured progression and is the most accessible starting point for most women. Open water swimming in lakes, rivers, and the sea has a growing evidence base for mental health benefits that may exceed those of pool swimming, with cold water immersion specifically associated with significant reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms. However, open water carries risks including cold shock, currents, and limited exit options, and should not be attempted alone or without prior acclimatisation. If open water appeals, join an organised outdoor swimming group where safety protocols are in place and coaches can guide your introduction to cold water.
Frequency and Intensity Guidance
Two to three sessions per week is the evidence-supported target for meaningful cardiovascular and mood benefits from swimming. Each session should last at least 30 minutes of actual swimming time, though beginners may work toward this over several weeks. To drive cardiovascular adaptation, sessions should include some higher-effort intervals, such as four lengths at a harder pace followed by two lengths of easy recovery, rather than entirely slow-paced lengths at all times. If hot flashes are a primary concern, cooler pool temperatures around 26 to 28 degrees Celsius are more effective than warmer ones. Open water swims in cool conditions provide this naturally, but a standard pool is generally cooler than many exercise environments and is still preferable to running in summer heat.
Tracking Workouts and Progress
Swimming progress can feel harder to quantify than running or cycling because it is water-based and pace varies with technique changes. Useful metrics to track include session duration, approximate distance, and how you feel before and after each swim. Pay particular attention to your mood and energy in the hours following a swim, which for many women is noticeably better than on non-swimming days. Over time you may also notice reductions in joint pain frequency, improvements in sleep, or a reduction in hot flash intensity on days you swim. PeriPlan lets you log workouts and track patterns over time, giving you a clear view of the relationship between swimming sessions and your broader symptom picture. Use this data to stay motivated and to recognise the real impact the habit is having.
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