3 Swimming Myths People Still Believe

Swimming is a wonderful pastime. A favorite of children everywhere, and an excellent way to get in a solid workout, it’s no wonder it’s so popular. Just because it’s a pretty common activity doesn’t mean that everything is always so straightforward though. There are some swimming myths that many people believe aren’t actually true.

You probably heard this one from your parents or grandparents. The idea was that if you don’t wait for a while after eating before you go swimming your muscles could cramp up and you wouldn’t be able to swim to safety. Another theory was that all your blood would be diverted to your digestive system, leaving the rest of your body without the oxygen and nutrients it needs to keep you swimming. It might not be a good idea to swim right after eating a huge meal, but that’s more a matter of comfort than anything else. No one wants to move when they’re stuffed anyway. Feel free to munch on a small snack though. If anything, the little extra boost of energy will do good things for you.

Have you ever seen an avid swimmer with light hair that has a green tinge to it? It’s all the chlorine they’re swimming in, right? Technically, no. Chlorine may be a greenish substance, but it’s not what’s responsible for tinting hair. That actually comes from the water having a relatively large quantity of copper in it. It usually comes from pipes and heater coils. If you want to avoid having slightly green hair, rinse immediately after swimming or use a mild lemon water wash to get rid of it.

One of the byproducts of using your muscles is the generation of heat. Sweating is your body’s way of trying to cool down. While useful, if you aren’t replacing the water you’re losing, you could be in trouble. Hyperthermia is nothing to mess around with. It can be easy to think you aren’t sweating when you’re swimming, which means you don’t need to drink water, right? Nope. Chances are you’re still sweating and losing fluids. The water from the pool just washes it away so you never notice. Make sure you drink enough water to stay properly hydrated.

Have you found yourself believing these swimming myths before? It can be easy to fall into believing them because of a variety of reasons, whether it’s because of who told it to you, things you’re observing, or because you don’t have quite all the information. Now that you know better though, feel free to share your newfound knowledge with others. Just don’t be surprised if some of them still believe these myths.

Some swimming myths can be dangerous. Check out 7 Things Lifeguards Wish You Knew About Water Safety next.

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