Mr Mark Foster’s five reasons why you should take the plunge.

When singer Mr John Legend revealed he was finally learning to swim at the age of 40, it made the news. There’s no shame in admitting you’re no good in the water, but why lie poolside when you could be swimming like a well-oiled fish and getting fit at the same time? Travel anywhere in the world and you can rock up at most pools and beaches with the basics – swim shorts, goggles, towel – and you’re good to go. Lest that sinking feeling set in at the thought of gasping for air mid-stroke, MR PORTER tapped former World, European and Commonwealth champion Mr Mark Foster for a few tips on why it’s wise to take the plunge.

“Swimming can help to carve that long, lean, V-shape body – broad shoulders and a narrow waist,” says Mr Foster. “It makes sense because every movement is a stretch, but it doesn’t happen overnight.” No one’s asking you to do a Ned Merrill [Mr Burt Lancaster’s character in the film The Swimmer] and travel the miles home by swimming across every pool in town, but hours of practice in the water can pay aesthetic dividends.

It’s noisy almost everywhere, especially in your head. “People are waking up to the fact that health is wealth,” says Mr Foster. “As well as the physical benefits of swimming, the mental positives are endless. The sight, sound and feel of water is like meditation.” No one likes their phone to get wet, so screen time is not an option. “It’s one of the rare places we can’t – or shouldn’t – take our devices,” says Mr Foster. “The rhythm and repetition of swimming quieten the mind and leave you in a space where the only noise is the soothing ripple of water.”

No one is asking you to don red shorts and sit on a tower, but becoming a strong and efficient swimmer can be a life-saving masterstroke. “Never fight the water,” says Mr Foster. “Learn to feel it, hold it and use it to your advantage so you can develop your technique and your strength in the water. It’s a life skill everyone should endeavour to have. Persevere, develop the habit and reap the benefits of a skill that’s like doing a workout and having a massage at the same time.”

In 2018, Mr George Corones, a 99-year-old Australian swimmer, smashed the 50m freestyle world record for his age group at the Commonwealth Games trials in Queensland. “You can swim at any age,” says Mr Foster. “It’s the best form of exercise there is.” Unshackled from the constraints of gravity, it’s kind to your joints, improves flexibility and, unlike running or cycling, where you’re mostly using your lower body, swimming engages the legs, upper body and core.

Can babies swim? No, they can’t. The baby on the cover of Nirvana’s album Nevermind is holding his breath, but isn’t swimming. Much like skiing, it’s good to learn early. But what if you haven’t racked up the lengths in your single-digit years? “Sure, it’s harder to learn to when you’re older when the fear is right there,” says Mr Foster. “But you have to remember that swimming is actually easy. Easy, but technical.” Even if you can’t just dive right in, Mr Foster recommends kicking off with lessons and leaving the nerves in the changing room.

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