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Atlantic
19-06-2025
- Health
- Atlantic
Why America Needs More Public Pools
This is an edition of Time-Travel Thursdays, a journey through The Atlantic 's archives to contextualize the present. Sign up here. My husband often hears me say that all I need to be happy is a sunny day and a pool. (He would argue that I don't say this so much as I whine it.) No matter how bad a day I'm having, if I can squeeze in just 10 minutes coursing through the water, watching the dappled sun reflect off my arms, life feels bearable again. When I dive my head underwater, I feel temporarily hidden from my problems, as if nothing can find me down there. Pools are so important to me that in 2020, one of my biggest concerns was whether the pandemic would prevent public pools from opening. I couldn't bear to watch a whole swimming season pass me by. (In defense of my screwed-up priorities, this was before I had kids.) That may seem melodramatic, but for decades, experts have argued that pools are essential for mental, physical, and social health. Swimming has been shown to boost moods; it routinely ranks among people's favorite forms of exercise. When I interviewed Bonnie Tsui, the author of Why We Swim, she told me that being in water gives you 'the feeling of both being buoyed and being embraced.' The pressure of the water combined with the release of gravity does something uniquely salubrious to our brains. Sure, you can get this same zing from an ocean or a lake, but not everyone lives near one of those. A pool is a bit of backyard magic, a chance to find transcendence in the everyday. For decades, writers have been documenting the wonders of pools in our pages. In 1967, Leonard Conversi described how his swimming lessons left him flabbergasted by 'unanticipated ease, when the world seems to divide before us like a perforation and the body feels itself inebriate, or falling.' However, after Conversi did a 'jig of triumph' at the end of the diving board, he was asked to leave the swimming club and find 'an organization more suited to your needs and temperament.' Conversi was unfazed: 'To have learned to breathe while moving in an alien element is to have begun to master the secret of animal life.' Even people who aren't sun-seekers can recognize the salutary effect of immersion. In 2006, the journalist Wayne Curtis traveled to the thermal pools of Iceland and noted that 'stepping into thermal waters is like stepping into Oz: life changes from the black-and-white of imminent hypothermia to a lustrous, multidimensional world of color and warmth.' The pools are a social hub in Iceland; people gather there with their friends and kids. Sounds heavenly. This idea, that pools can be a ' third place ' for people to meet and chill, has existed for decades. In a 1952 call for cities to revitalize themselves, the developer William Zeckendorf suggested building parks with swimming pools as one way to keep urban workers from fleeing to the suburbs: I visualize these fun centers as consisting of a tremendous dance hall, bowling alleys, skating rinks, merry-go-rounds for the children, a swimming pool for the children and one for the adults too—in short, a happy, functionally designed center for dancing and exercise and entertainment … People would feel that their city is a great place to live in, not a great place to get away from. His entreaty serves as a somewhat tragic companion piece to one that Yoni Appelbaum, an Atlantic deputy executive editor, wrote a decade ago. Starting in the 1920s, pools did become the kinds of recreation hot spots that Zeckendorf hailed—until they began to desegregate in the '50s. Rather than continue to use public pools, which welcomed all races, some suburbanites retreated to private club pools, such as the one at the center of a racist incident in McKinney, Texas—the town where I went to high school and where my parents still live. During a party at a private-subdivision pool in 2015, teens who allegedly didn't live in the community showed up, someone called the police, and an officer tackled a young Black girl to the ground, pinning her with both knees on her back. (The officer was placed on administrative leave and then resigned; the McKinney police chief said that the department's policies didn't 'support his actions.' A grand jury later declined to bring criminal charges against him.) Public pools have been 'frequent battlefields' of racial tension, Appelbaum wrote. 'That complicated legacy persists across the United States. The public pools of mid-century—with their sandy beaches, manicured lawns, and well-tended facilities—are vanishingly rare.' Many public pools have become neglected and underfunded, usurped by private pools funded by HOA fees. I say we start the backlash to this backlash: in the spirit of Zeckendorf, dig up some unused parking lots and fallow fields, and open public pools again. Though this would be a resource-intensive endeavor, it would be worth it. Take it from the famed New York City urban planner Robert Moses: 'It is no exaggeration to say that the health, happiness, efficiency, and orderliness of a large number of the city's residents, especially in the summer months, are tremendously affected by the presence or absence of adequate bathing facilities.' This summer and in the hot, hot summers to come, America needs pools—for everyone.
The Independent
05-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
The secrets to building muscle and exercising for a longer life
Exercise is in a state of flux. The demographics that fill gym floors are shifting, with more women and older generations making a beeline for the free weights, and motivations to get fit also changing. Where before many people's primary goal was to lose weight or look good, they now want to build a body that's fit for purpose, allowing them to live better for longer. 'Longevity' is the fitness world's new magic word. This is something Why We Swim author Bonnie Tsui discovered when researching and writing her new book, On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us And Why It Matters. In the process, she stumbled upon a surprising driving force behind successful exercise routines: fun. 'Movement being fun is a beautiful driving force in the book,' she says. 'It's playful, and we should seek it out because it keeps us moving. 'Hidden away in the play and enjoyment is all of that good stuff; better physical health, cognitive health, cardiovascular health. Muscle allows us to move, and movement is joyful.' The problem with movement for fun 'We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing,' is a phrase attributed to Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. And in the case of the human body, it rings true. The body is constantly adapting to better handle the tasks we tell it are important. If we're lifting challenging weights each week, it will become stronger (if fuelled and rested correctly). If we spend our days sitting at our desk, in our car and on our sofa, it's likely to tighten up our hip flexors and let other areas weaken. When we do try to exercise, it feels hard and unnatural, with our weakened joints now at a greater risk of injury. The problem Tsui found is, as most people grow older, they become more resistant to new activities. 'When we get older, we get more stuck in our ways, set into routines and less open to new things, novelty and change,' she says. 'I think we're afraid. We're afraid of hurting ourselves, we're afraid of looking dumb and we're afraid of not being good at something. When you get to a certain age you think, 'Oh, I'm a full-on adult, I'm good at the things that I do, and this is who I am'.' This approach could be keeping people from some considerable benefits. Tsui took up surfing when she was almost 30, and repeatedly abandoned her comfort zone to try new activities while writing the book – double Dutch being one example. And it was outside her comfort zone where she found the greatest rewards lay. 'I think we're often afraid of looking like a newbie or a beginner – doing the thing and looking silly. But when you do seek out novelty and change, it is the thing that fires up different pathways in your brain and in your body that keeps you young and moving in a beneficial way. 'There's a lot of positivity around thinking like a beginner too. Once you start doing the activity, you find you aren't actually that worried because every day is better than the previous day. You just have to be brave enough to start.' Read more: Five science-backed sleep tips to supercharge your fitness efforts open image in gallery Investigating muscle, author Bonnie Tsui found that great rewards could be found in trying new types of exercise and physical activities. ( Getty Images/iStock ) The forbidden movement Jumping is a prime example of this. When was the last time you jumped? Maybe you don't do it anymore to avoid injury? But that risk of injury is heightened because you stopped in the first place, leading the muscles and tissues responsible for jumping to weaken. 'There's a whole section of the book on jumping,' says Tsui. 'There's something pleasurable about it, and to seek out pleasure in movement is not a bad thing.' She references photographer Philippe Halsman, whose book Jump features a collection of images of his noteworthy subjects doing just that. 'In a jump, the subject, in a sudden burst of energy, overcomes gravity,' Halsman writes in explanation. 'He cannot simultaneously control his expressions, his facial and his limb muscles. The mask falls. The real self becomes visible. One has only to snap it with the camera.' His oldest subject was an 87-year-old judge called Learned Hand. Tsui laughs, recalling the judge saying something along the lines of, 'Jumping – this isn't a bad way to go,' before launching into the air. 'He was very hesitant about the idea of jumping because it is something that recalls youth,' she says. 'It's this pure movement for movement's sake, and it's fun; there's a freedom that comes with it. Something essential about the self comes out while you're doing it. It is not a bad way to go.' Read more: Why ultra-processed foods are a bigger problem than you think – and 10 tips for cutting back at home open image in gallery There can be an element of fear around trying new physical activities. Jumping is a prime example. ( Getty Images/iStockphoto ) The solution Movement has always been part of Tsui's life. Some of her earliest memories are of her father, an artist and black belt in karate, teaching her how to draw, paint, punch and kick. 'My dad was always really great at playing,' she says. 'Then I started swimming. I loved my swim team so much; it was my social life and my community and I identified with that. When I got to college I decided I wanted to row and find out how it feels to be part of a team working as one organism along the water. Then I did a bunch of triathlons for a while, then took up surfing.' She has always found joy in movement and challenge, but for many people this isn't the case. As soon as your school years end, exercise becomes something you have to opt into, and finding the time or motivation to do it can feel like an uphill battle. The key, whether you're a naturally active person or someone simply trying to move more, is trying new activities and sticking with the ones you enjoy. By doing this over time, regular movement will become the default. Tsui points to her mother as a case study for this. 'If you are a person who hasn't had a regular exercise practice for a while and wants to start but it feels hard, one of the things I ask is: 'What are the things you love doing, or have loved doing?' 'Is it dance? Because my mum loves line dancing. She started doing it pretty soon after I left college. She goes to this group a few times a week where the routines and the music are always changing, so she gets to have this very fun, social experience. They dance for two or three hours, but she says it flies by and she doesn't even notice. How amazing is that?' In this case, the community element adds a sense of social obligation, meaning you're less likely to skip classes. The enjoyment when you get there keeps you coming back for more. 'You're getting so much out of it emotionally, socially and physically,' says Tsui. 'That can be the same for different kinds of exercises and activities, but I think it's so important to find one you enjoy. 'Movement is so much about how good it feels, and I think people forget as they get older that they used to physically play all the time; jumping rope, climbing on the playground, playing sports.' Read more: How much work do you need to do to build a fit and healthy body? Not as much as you think, according to experts open image in gallery At some point in their life, most people stop physically playing ( Alamy/PA ) The benefits of movement If the body works on a 'use it or lose it' basis, it stands to reason that continuing to move in a range of ways is going to allow you to continue to move in a range of ways. Aerobic activity can help build cardiovascular fitness, increasing our heart and lung health, while regularly recruiting joints is going to strengthen the surrounding tissues – muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments. The result is a fit and functional body, better able to handle the rigours of everyday life, as well as the test of time. From her learnings, Tsui's top recommendation for achieving this is any activity you enjoy. Her next suggestion is strength training. 'Even over the course of writing this book – I started writing it in 2021 – there has been this momentum shift towards lifting weights being something for everyone,' she says. 'This is especially true as you get older because it is so correlated with overall health, cognitive health, your muscle mass, cardiovascular health and maintaining that strength as you age. 'There's new research, and medical professionals are telling their patients this is something they need to do. It's not just for looks or to promote a certain kind of appearance; people are understanding in a fundamental and essential way that it is critical for their general health moving forward in life.' Tsui also highlights an increased awareness of sarcopenia – the age-related loss of strength and muscle which can start as early as your 30s –as a reason for this. 'I go to the gym at lunchtime and I see these women in their early 20s deadlifting,' she adds. 'There are just as many young women doing powerlifting as men. It's this huge change in terms of people who are inviting this into their lives, as part of who they are and owning their strength. 'Then on the older end of this trend towards strength training, you're seeing a lot of people understanding that this is something they need to keep doing through their 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, to maintain their health alongside the ability and agility they want.' Read more: How your step count became the ultimate modern humblebrag open image in gallery Strength training is an excellent tool for improving strength and longevity ( Getty/iStock ) The intelligence of muscle It isn't just the physical benefits that should provide a draw to strength training. And while the word muscle might still stir up images of biceps curls and bodybuilders for many, Tsui immersed herself in all things muscle and came away wanting 'to give muscle the smarts and intelligence it deserves'. 'I want the reader to reclaim muscles for themselves, because it is not only about those muscles that are on display; it's everything from our hearts beating, our blood moving through our body and the food moving through our gut, to goosebumps.' 'Goosebumps are such a great example because the muscles that control them, the little muscle fibres around your hair follicles, are giving you information. When you get goosebumps and those little muscles make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck, they're the muscles of fear, awe and cold.' Skeletal muscle is also an endocrine tissue, responsible for making and releasing hormones which control the actions of other cells or organs in the body. In Tsui's words, muscle is 'always chatting'. 'People are obviously worried as they get older, and rightfully so, about dementia and cognitive decline,' she says. 'We all know that movement is important for our physical health, but there's this conversation between your muscles and your brain which you cannot hear, but it's happening. It's signalling our body to do all the things it's supposed to be doing to promote health and longevity. Bulking up your muscles bulks up your brain. 'I think people are understanding that muscles are something they have to pay attention to, no matter what age they're at, because everybody wants to maintain their autonomy and independence for as long as possible. They want to be able to live a full and capable life as long as they can. That includes being physically able, and mentally able too.' Read more: Four science-backed ways to make your daily walk even better for your health open image in gallery Bulking up your muscles can bulk up your brain, Tsui found. Tsui's conclusion Researching for On Muscle gave Tsui a newfound appreciation for the many muscles of the body, and the things they do for you; they give you shape, let you move and allow you to live life in the way that you want. They're also constantly changing, allowing us as humans to do the same. 'The takeaway I wanted people to have from this book is that we're all capable of change; trying a new thing and becoming a new version of ourselves,' she concludes. 'That is the inspiration we take from muscle; it's always changing, it's always adapting, and it's helping us to be that way too.' Read more: Will the run club replace the pub? Why choose when both can help fight a deeper issue?
