The Health Balance

[Brick]

We keep being told how dangerous open water swimming is. But there must be health advantages and disadvantages. Pluses are the life-enhancing effects of exercise, getting into the out-doors, lowered stress levels, etc. Disadvantages include the risk of drowning, water borne diseases, etc.

I have the mortality statistics for 2005 in front of me, and the numbers of water related accidents are quite low. Deaths due to the health problems that will be affected by physical exercise (e.g. heart disease) are very high, heart disease being the largest cause of death overall.

So by regularly swimming in open water, you have an increased risk of some rare causes of death, but reduced chance of the most frequent cause of death. While I haven't got any numerical examples, I cannot believe that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

[Wildswimmer]

While I haven't got any numerical examples, I cannot believe that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

Unless you're Peter Cornall of RoSPA, or one of the many besuited little Hitlers that infest Town Halls up and down the country.:mad::banghead:

It is extremely dangerous to have to cross the road, without any health advantages (far from it - car fumes are far more dangerous than secondary smoking) and without having any choice in the matter. Funny how our autoholic culture looks the other way when it comes to the toll exacted by its great four-wheeled god, yet demonises a healthy sport with an absolutely minute casualty rate. :mad:

Of course the fact that the killer car makes a fortune for both Government and Big Business (is there any difference?), but open-water swimming does not, couldn't have anything to do with this classic example of Orwellian doublethink, could it? Surely not?

Wildswimmer Pete