What Is The Best Time Of Day To Swim Outdoors?

Swimming is one of the best things you can do for your body! It has so many benefits, such as building muscle tone, reducing stress, helping with weight loss, and improving flexibility, balance, and coordination. But when should you schedule your swim session in your day?

The best time to swim outdoors is before 10 am or after 4 pm. Between these times, the sun's UV rays are strongest, and this leads to higher levels of sun exposure which increases the risk of skin cancer. Sunblock and other forms of sun protection are necessary when swimming between these times.

Strap on your swimming goggles, and let's dive into some interesting information about swimming outdoors!

What Is The Best Time Of Day To Swim Outdoors?

The best time of day to swim outside is either in the morning before 10 am or in the afternoon after 4 pm. The reason for this is that between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays are at their strongest.

It is safest to avoid these times as ultraviolet rays can lead to sunburn and increase the risk of skin cancer. Because the light reflects off the water, swimming or just being in bodies of water allow you to become sunburnt a lot quicker.

The sun's UV rays can bounce off the water and reflect onto your face and body, therefore, exposing you to more UV rays and decreasing the time it takes for you to get burnt compared to when you aren't swimming. Even sitting next to a body of water can lead to higher UV ray exposure and therefore sunburn due to reflection.

The peak UV ray times usually fall between 10 am and 4 pm, but this can vary. The strength of the UV rays is affected by the time of year – summer and spring have much stronger UV rays when compared to winter. Other things that may affect UV ray strength are the distance from the equator, cloud cover, and altitude.

How To Protect Yourself When Swimming Outdoors

The best way to protect yourself while swimming outside is to avoid going near or in a body of water at the peak ultraviolet times of the day.

If you can only swim between the peak times, you should check the UV ray index before swimming outside. I would recommend you use one of many apps available to check the UV ray index of your area and determine when is the right time to swim.

If the UV ray index falls higher than three, it's best to protect yourself from the sun.

Wear sunscreen at least SPF 30 or above. Make sure to reapply the sunscreen every two hours, as even waterproof sunblock will wash away as you swim. Additionally, appling sunblock 20 minutes before swimming will give the sunblock time to stick to your skin; otherwise, it may just wash off the moment you enter the water.

Although this isn't ideal for professional swimmers, you should wear protective clothing while you swim in addition to sunblock. There is waterproof type clothing that is skintight and can be used for swimming for that extra protection. While sunblock is a good start, it is key to pair this with clothing.

Finally, I would advise swimming in shady areas if possible. If you can only swim during peak UV times, it might be better to swim in an indoor pool or stick to the shadier sides of the outdoor pool. This will minimize your UV ray exposure.

Best Time Of Day To Swim Outdoors For Exercise

Swimming for leisure and swimming for exercise are two similar but different things. As someone who swims outdoors for exercise, I always try to protect myself from the sun as best as possible using the above recommendations.

Firstly, the same logic applies to leisure swimming and exercise swimming. It is best to swim before 10 am or after 4 pm so that your exposure to the sun's harmful UV rays is limited. However, regardless of the sun, there is an optimal time of day to swim for exercise in terms of your body and your exercise goal.

Best Time Of Day To Swim Outdoors To Lose Weight

If you want to lose weight, the best time to swim is in the morning before breakfast. To reduce the risk of high UV ray exposure, it is wise to swim before the recommended 10 am.

Aside from UV exposure, the reason why swimming in the morning, before having eaten anything, is best is because you force your body to use its fat stores as energy for swimming. Since you will not have eaten for a few hours, your body has no choice but to use your fat stores, and therefore promote weight loss.

Best Time Of Day To Swim Outdoors To Gain Weight

In general, regardless of what type of exercise you are doing, exercising in the evening will promote the building of muscle when compared to the morning or afternoon.

When you wake up, you can often feel tired not only in your head but also in your body. Your muscles will begin in their weakest state in the morning. As the day progresses, the strength of your muscles gradually increases. By the evening, your muscles are starting to peak in strength.

Your muscles will peak in strength in the early evening. Exercising at this time allows your muscles to work at their optimal state. Studies have shown that individuals who exercise in the early evening tend to build more muscle mass than those who don't.

Summary

The best time to swim outdoors is before 10 am or after 4 pm. This is because between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, the sun's UV rays are at their highest.

The best ways to protect yourself when swimming outdoors are with sunblock, protective clothing, and by sticking to the shadier sides of the pool. It is also advisable to check the sun UV ray's index.

The best time to swim outdoors for exercise is in the morning for weight loss and in the evening for muscle gain.

So whether your are swimming for pleasure of to get fit, enjoy your swim session more by swimming at the optimal time.