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James Nichols
English IV AP
Davey Mills
1 November 2016
Inverse Evolution: Swimmings Benefits on the Body
At the core of humanitys existence is our capacity for physical achievement.
Mothers lift cars off of children, men run at twenty seven miles per hour, others have
conquered Mount Everest and swam the English Channel, yet perhaps most notably,
our species life expectancy has extended from thirty short years to an astounding
seventy one, in the timespan of a mere 115 years(WHO). While mostly due to advances
within the medical field, a significant amount of credit is due to our increasing
capabilities within the athletic realm. In addition to impressing the world countless times
over, increasing levels of physical activity reap various mental benefits, such as lower
stress, increased serotonin and endorphin levels, and higher self-confidence. Yet with
our astounding achievements come the drawbacks associated with said achievements,
some examples being arthritis, concussions, and broken bones. Swimming reaps the
mental benefits of physical activity, while being classified as a low-impact sport on the
body, compared to a high-impact sport such as football. Due to this fact, swimming is
the most beneficial sport for ones body and mind on a long-term basis.
For countless years, psychiatrists and therapists alike have recommended
physical activity to their patients suffering from a variety of conditions, including mild to
moderate depression, anxiety, and even alzheimers. As mentioned by Lawrence
Robinson, this is due to the release of a plethora of chemicals within the brain while and

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after exercising. Specifically, there are notable spikes in serotonin levels, endorphins,
and norepinephrine. The spikes in serotonin levels directly correlate with a rapid release
of endorphins, resulting in simultaneous feelings of relaxation and reward, the reward
being attributed to the release of endorphins. These feelings are further amplified by the
release of norepinephrine, also known as adrenaline. The simultaneous release of
these happy chemicals can be directly attributed to a process described by MK
Mcgovern as neurogenesis due to the creation of BDNF genes that both protect
existing neurons while also allowing for the synthesis of new neural pathways. This
neural soup, persay, has an endless stream of positive consequences within the brain,
including but not limited to; improved memory, the regulation of sleep patterns,
increased confidence levels, and sharper thinking skills; however these consequences
are more noticeable as ones age increases. Specifically stated by Mcgovern, the
improvements in the eighteen to twenty-four year old age group are much less
noticeable than the improvements in the sixty to seventy-five year old age group. This is
evidence of the notion that as one ages, exercise becomes increasingly more important
in order to retain a sharp mind and reap the benefits of physical activity, and while these
benefits are attributed to all aerobic activities, there are notable differences between
different activities, such as swimming and football.
It holds true that swimming reaps the same mental benefits associated with
aerobic activity in general, however there are specific aspects of the sport that provide
greater benefits than other aerobic activities. In particular, there is a theraputic nature to
lap swimming which is referred to as black line therapy by the swimming community.
At the bottom of each lane in a lap pool is a straight black line that ends in a T at either

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side in order to indicate to the swimmer when to initiate their flip turn. Seeing as the
black line plays a crucial role in a swimmers ability, the swimming community as a
conglomerate spends a majority of practice staring at a straight black line while thinking
of nothing but swimming. Additively, the nature of a swimming pool results in sensory
deprivation for a swimmer. Staring at a black line limits a swimmers sight, sound waves
encounter great difficulty when attempting to penetrate water, and smelling as well as
tasting are horrific ideas while swimming. This limits a swimmers senses to touch,
allowing them to focus on their technique or breathing patterns only. The ability to focus
on one thing at a time, such as the wind on your face, your feet hitting the ground or
your breathing pattern allows for the worries of life to seemingly drift away, alleviating
both anxiety and depression simultaneously (Robinson).
Just as swimming reaps the mental benefits of aerobic activity, football players
receive benefits such as increased endorphin levels, release of BDNF genes resulting in
neurogenesis, and relief from depression. However, there are significant differences in
the mental advantages between the two sports. Most notably would be the better
teamwork between football players as opposed to swimmers, and the higher confidence
levels associated with football players. While Olympic and college level swimmers have
excellently lean physiques, high school swimmers typically do not have this same
physique. This is due to the fact that they have not entirely matured yet, resulting in high
school swimmers looking incredibly lean compared to their college counterparts.
Comparatively, high school, college, and professional football players alike are
renowned for their bodybuilder physiques and incredibly high confidence levels
associated with their athletic talent. Football players athletic talent also reciprocates

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from the field into everyday life, meaning they can demonstrate their abilities for all to
see. Swimmers do not have this luxury, as human beings are creatures of the land and
cannot swim in dirt, consequently giving football players the edge in confidence levels.
This fact holds true until the college level, at which point swimmers bodies begin to
develop. At this point swimmers begin to fill out and gain muscle mass, whilst receiving
little to no injuries in comparison to football players of the same level.
In addition to comparisons of confidence levels, one too could compare the
cooperative ability of either a football player or a swimmer. Contrary to popular belief,
swimming is not entirely an individual sport. There are underlying levels of
communication, especially when swimming with up to ten other people in a lane at a
time. As such swimmers have to be capable of knowing when to and when not to start
or finish a set. However this subtle communication is seemingly incomparable to the
level of communication and teamwork between football players. In this regard football
players have an advantage, as communication between teammates in practice and
games are reflected into everyday life. Regardless, swimming still remains a team sport,
and there are a multitude of instances in which communication and support are vital,
particularly at meets filled with a cacophony of noises, and when silently assisting a
teammate during a set.
Silently communicating is merely one subset of skills gained through swimming,
presented by Aimee Kimball in her article, ABCs of Mental Training. In her article, she
addresses the entirety of the alphabet, yet the three letters that stick out would be C for
Confidence, L for Leadership, and S for Stress Management, as these skills go beyond
the sport itself, leaking into a swimmers everyday life. In the swimming world,

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confidence is key to succeeding. Before every event, a swimmer has to remind
themselves that theyve practiced hard and are going to do their absolute best. This
same attitude goes for practicing, as swimmers may feel that they need positive
reassurance in order to feel confident, yet more often than not swimmers may want
others to tell them that they are good, however they do not need it (Kimball, C is for
Confidence). Confidence levels are also boosted in terms of a swimmers physical
appearance. Swimming is a unique sport in that the participants are mostly naked. This
component of the sport results in a persons ability to feel comfortable with how they
look in front of their peers, as they are required to be exposed in ways other athletes are
not. Mostly exposing oneself further unifies the team on an emotional level, boosting
confidence not only as a singular entity but also as a conglomerate.
Consistent communication and cooperation are essentially to successfully
swimming on a competitive team. Perhaps even more pertinent should be the presence
of leadership on a swim team. Whether providing encouragement to the new swimmers,
giving sets to returners, or if necessary punishing those not completing sets, leadership
is vital for a swim team to succeed. The leaders job is to inspire the swim team to enjoy
their time both in and out of the pool, and to provide the encouragement necessary to
power through obstacles. Lastly, it is a leaders responsibility to lead by example, setting
a positive precedent, especially for the younger members of the team. Competitive
swimmers end their careers with notable people skills, and the ability to empower
those around you towards success, both of which being beneficial skills to reduce
stress both in the workplace, and life in general (Kimball; L is for Leadership).

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Consequently, swimming on a team, especially during adolescence, results in the
development of stress management skills. Concurrently resulting from the development
of confidence and leadership skills, swimmers ultimately become experts at time
management, and worrying over things that cannot be controlled. Leadership benefits
ones worrying tendencies, because as a leader one must be capable of encouraging
others, but not basing their performance or potential on the capabilities of those around
them. Additively, feeling sure of oneself results in feeling prepared for meets, radically
reducing the stress commonly associated competing. Along with competitions,
adolescents, especially seniors, have a great deal of stress to handle, whether it be
from family issues, college applications, senior projects, work, or schoolwork, being able
to manage ones time and set aside what is uncontrollable or not important is vital in
order to succeed as an athlete. Nevertheless, stress management does not result in the
complete abolition of stresses in life. Rather, swimming gives one the tools to discern
appropriate stress from needless worrying, and allows the athlete to utilize stress as a
tool for encouraging themselves as opposed to beating themselves up over it. This, in
addition to the release of endorphins effectively boosts an athletes ability to achieve,
and reap the benefits of the reward.
Physical activity results in not only mental benefits, but also provides significant
physical advantages over those who do not exercise. Plaguing the United States, and to
a lesser extent the world, is a wave of not exercising. In combination with a plethora of
unhealthy eating options, the number one cause of death can now be contributed to
cardiovascular diseases leading to strokes or heart attacks. However, should the
majority of the population engage in regular exercise, specifically those that raise the

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heart rate, or cardiovascular exercise, death rates due to strokes and heart attacks
would plummet. Plummeting death rates, in addition to the mental benefits and superior
physique provide incentive to engaging in exercise.
Cardiovascularly speaking, swimming is comparable to running. Both are
activities which keep ones heart rate up, while also toning muscles, building up lung
capacity, and building muscle strength. Additionally, the average swim practice results in
around 1500 calories being burnt, which is comparable to the number of calories burnt
while jogging that same length of time. As such, swimming is an excellent tool for both
weight loss, or simply getting in better shape. Where swimming gains an advantage
would be in its low impact nature (Australian Government). While running, every step
that one takes sends vibrations up from the foot and throughout the entirety of the leg,
oftentimes resulting in injuries of the ankles and calves. As stated by experts from
Bucknell University, buoyancy allows for exercises to be done that cannot be done on
land, due to the fact that ones feet are not continuously hitting the floor, thus making
swimming a low to no impact sport.
While swimming may be a low impact sport, this does not make swimmers
immune to injuries. In fact, swimmers are particularly prone to shoulder injuries. This is
due to the consistent rotational movement associated with freestyle, backstroke, but
most notably with butterfly. In butterfly, a swimmer has to swing their arms out to the
sides and back around to the front, after which the body rolls down until the legs down
kick. An up kick begins the next stroke, and at this point technique is crucial in order to
maintain speed, as well as avoid severe injuries. The bending of the elbows at this point
in the stroke most commonly results in rotator cuff injuries due to poor technique. In a

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personal interview with Nicole Wells, a former year-round and college butterfly
swimmer, she states that I hurt my shoulder because I was pulling too much with my
shoulders and not using my whole body to aid my stroke. Had Nicoles coach at the
time recognized this technique flaw, her rotator could have avoided injury and Nicole
could still be competitively swimming to this day. Despite this fact, Nicole is now a
masters swimmer, and her shoulder has regained most of its strength after taking 5
years off of competitive swimming, displaying a swimmers ability to recover from
injuries if given the time and ability to do so (Wells, 2016).
Comparatively, football is an extremely high impact sport. When playing football,
ankle injuries due to sprinting are the least of ones worries. The entirety of the sport is
centered around high speed collisions between at least two immensely powerful
individuals. As such, players regularly suffer knee, shoulder, and ankle injuries and the
possibility of catastrophic injury is one that players and their families must consider
(Silverman). Additionally, countless concussions are suffered due to head to head
collisions, oftentimes going unnoticed which can lead to more severe health impacts
later in the players life. These extremely consequential risks must be accounted for
when considering participating in football, as the physical benefits of being in incredible
shape and gaining profound skills in leadership and confidence may not outweigh the
dangers of high speed, high impact sports such as football. Contradictorily, swimming
provides the same mental benefits as football, while remaining a low to no impact sport
on the body.
In conclusion, swimming provides the buoyancy and freedom necessary to be
described as a low impact sport, whilst also carving excellent physiques. The risk for

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injury in swimming is drastically lower compared to other activities, particularly running
and football; that is so long as the swimmer maintains proper technique. Additionally,
swimming is an activity that can be continued long into ones life, whereas an injury in
football or running oftentimes is the end of a career. Swimming effectively reaps the
mental benefits, such as neurogenesis and the release of happy chemicals in the
brain, (this process also continues long into old age), while building cardiovascular
health and concurrently being a low impact sport. It can truthfully be said that Inverse
Evolution is beneficial to the human body in numerous ways, and should strongly be
considered by all athletes and soon to be athletes as their go to exercise form.

Works Cited
Kimball, Aimee. "USA Swimming - Mental Training." Swimming-Mental Training.
USA Swimming, 15 Apr. 2009. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

"Health Benefits of Water Exercise." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 04 May 2016. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

"Chapter 2: Physical Activity Has Many Health Benefits." Chapter 2. US Department of

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"Life Expectancy." World Health Organization. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 17 Oct.
2016.

Roser, Max. "Life Expectancy." Our World In Data Comments. USA, Sweden, Denmark, n.d.
Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Robinson, Lawrence, Jeane Segal, PhD, and Melinda Smith, M.A. "The Mental Health
Benefits of Exercise." : The Exercise Prescription for Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and
More. Helpguide.Org, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

Rodeo, Scott, MD. "SHOULDER INJURY PREVENTION." USA Swimming. USA

Silverman, Steve. "What Are the Health Benefits of Being a Football

Government, Australian. "Swimming - Health Benefits." Department of Health & Human

Bucknell University. "Swimming Information." Benefits of Swimming. US Water Fitness

MK Mcgovern. "The Effects of Exercise on the Brain." The Effects of Exercise on the Brain.
Bryn Mawr College, n.d. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.

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Wells, Nicole. Swimming Injuries. 14 Nov. 2016