Researchers at the University of East London have published a new study examining how middle-aged, middle-class British women describe the effects of regular open water swimming on their wellbeing, including its impact on symptoms of menopause.
The research , published in the European Journal of Ecopsychology , uses in-depth interviews to understand women’s own accounts of swimming in outdoor water and how they feel it supports their lives.
The study looks at the patterns that emerged when women talked about what open water swimming meant to them. Across the interviews, four themes appeared consistently:
This is the first qualitative study to examine open water swimming through “flourishing” a recognised psychological framework, and that participants’ accounts aligned closely with its components.
Mr James Beale, lead author and Programme Leader for the MSc Applied Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University of East London, said:
“We are seeing a major shift in women taking up open water swimming, and many are now speaking openly about how it connects to menopause.
"Until now, this discussion has been largely anecdotal. Our study shows that women repeatedly link outdoor swimming with emotional steadiness, confidence and coping during this stage of life. That points to an emerging area of women’s health that deserves greater attention.”
The study, entitled “ ‘I’ve never come out of the water wishing I hadn’t got in’: A deductive investigation into the impact of open water swimming on flourishing in middle-aged, middle-class British females ,” appears in the European Journal of Ecopsychology.
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‘I've never come out of the water wishing I hadn't got in’. A deductive investigation into the impact of Open Water Swimming on flourishing in middle-aged, middleclass British females
17-Dec-2025