Breathing in Water

Eric Herman

I’m sure many of you have noticed by now that we’ve been devoting some of WaterShapes’ pages to articles that in one way or another shine a light on the health benefits of swimming and other forms of aquatic activity. We’ve done so in the firm belief that the information is important and needs to be shared within the full watershaping community.

We’re adding to that dialogue in this issue with a piece by Dr. Bruce Becker (“Increasing Access” — click here) that considers the obstacles, both physical and psychological, that many people face in getting into the water. (Quite coincidentally, Mike Farley’s “Book Notes” this month is about a book on the benefits of swimming.)

It’s an important topic area – and one that hits home with me on a personal level: In April of this year, a chest X-ray that was part of a routine physical revealed some tissue damage in my lungs that concerned my doctor. Based on further tests, the diagnosis is that I have permanent lung damage as a result of many years with asthma and a couple bouts of pneumonia. Not to overdramatize things, but I’m well aware that the news could have been far worse.

In discussing his observations with my doctor, he strongly recommended swimming as an exercise for people who, like me, have limited lung capacity. The buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure of the water, he said, increase the heart’s ability to pump blood and therefore makes the entire cardiovascular system more efficient. Moreover, he said he believed that inhaling small amounts of moisture would be good for both my trachea and my lungs.

His advice was easy to accept because it’s absolutely consistent with everything I’ve heard and read about working out in water. In my case, it’s not a huge adjustment because swimming has long been a part of my exercise program. But now, I’m even more motivated to increase my level of activity in the pool: As is the case with just about everyone I know who swims regularly, I’ve come to believe that the benefits are not only physical, but also psychological as well. In short, it is impossible to get in the water and not feel better – and those feelings stay with me when I get out.

In my case, the effect even in a few short weeks has been profound. I feel like a different and much healthier person when I’m swimming routinely: It’s become the best part of my day, and I find myself looking forward to the moment I don my trunks and goggles and jump into the pool.

***

Also in this issue, Brian Van Bower tackles the topic of intellectual property and proper attribution of design work in his “Aqua Culture” column (click here). We at WaterShapes do all we can to support his argument, invariably asking our writers to be sure to credit outside creative inputs to their projects.

In another complete coincidence, that sort of credit was missing from a story published in our May 2008 issue. On the magazine’s cover and in “Eastern Eclectic” are images of a beautiful vanishing-edge pool that was part of an extensive project designed and largely installed by Ben Dozier’s firm, Root Design Company of Austin, Texas. The text didn’t mention that the pool itself was built by Liquid Assets, a pool design/construction company also based in Austin. We regret the omission.