swimming at night
(Image Credit: Garden State Hiker / Flickr)

Many people enjoy swimming because they get to enjoy it with their family and friends. Relaxing in a pool or shallow water at the beach is a popular Summer pastime. However, many also overlook the great results for your body and health that occur from swimming.

Unknown to many is that swimming is a great exercise to do during the day AND at night. Here are six reasons why swimming at night a great option with a lot of benefits.

No Damaging Sun Exposure

While it is healthy to take a dip in the day, it’s even better to try swimming at night. That way you avoid exposing yourself to potentially harmful UV rays from the sun. Being exposed to the sun is good but being overexposed is a different thing.

A bad sunburn hurts, but long-term sun exposure can lead to melanoma and various other serious medical conditions. Night swimming is great so try to balance your schedule in order to juggle your day swim and night swim.

Night Swimming Improves Your Sleep

Swimming at night improves sleep according to many. It’s not a negative thing to feel tired or sore after taking a dip in a pool as it is healthy for your body. Swimming improves cardiovascular fitness and builds muscle strength.

However, recent studies caution that you need to wait at least one hour after strenuous exercise before trying to go to bed.

The researchers examined 23 studies that evaluated sleep onset and quality in healthy adults who performed a single session of evening exercise compared with similar adults who did not. They found that not only did evening exercise not affect sleep, it seemed to help people fall asleep faster and spend more time in deep sleep. – Does exercising at night help sleep?Harvard Health Publishing

Low-Impact Cardio to End the Day

Working out after work is probably one of the biggest bummers for people because you’re already tired from your job and considering doing exercises at night will only cause you to be more tired. But that’s not the case with swimming exercises.

The great thing about swimming is the fact that you are plunging yourself in a substance where you can freely spread your whole body in any way that you want. Swimming at night is a good cardio session that will help release endorphins and treat cardiovascular problems.

Swimming at Night Improves Flexibility

Going for a swim is simply good for your body. You will be able to improve your flexibility especially if you’re living a sedentary lifestyle. Often times, people sit for the whole day in the office without doing anything other than stressing about workloads and munching on some sweets. With swimming, all of your body parts that must be stretched will surely be stretched, hence, flexibility will come.

Burn Off Calories Before Bed

If you’ve eaten too much in a day, you will be able to burn most of them by swimming at night. It may not burn all the calories but it will surely help you lose weight especially if you are a person who is conscious about having a healthy lifestyle.

Good for Night Owls

There are those who prefer to swim in the morning to be more lively throughout the day but for the evening persons, swimming at night is your best choice. Those who usually can’t sleep at night could also use this as a way to be able to sleep better.

Clearly, swimming at night has a lot of benefits. More than the fun and enjoyment, it is still the health and wellness that should matter in the end.


This post was originally published in June of 2017, but has subsequently been republished with new updates and information.