Adults

The unique properties of water have immediate physical benefits, like pain modulation,” says Andrew Power, water well-being specialist at Swim England, a governing body in the United Kingdom for swimming. (He advises Swim England on health and well-being, as it relates to swimming, and in previous roles developed health interventions, mainly for people with long-term health conditions.) Research has demonstrated not only short-term but also long-term benefits to mental health, with longer-term benefits including potentially reducing the risk of early death, supporting healthy aging, and giving individuals who find it difficult to be active on land another way to exercise.