When I sit by the lido pool, normally wrapped up in a coat, post-swim, coffee in hand, I look around and I see every kind of body. I see fat bodies, old bodies, thin bodies, disabled bodies, body hair, wrinkles, scars and tattoos. Saggy bits are showered publicly, droopy bits dried and no one cares. We are beautiful because we have used our bodies; because we have bodies. I had been so used to comparing my body to the bodies I was seeing on Instagram and TikTok that I had forgotten what the rest of the world – real people, mums, sisters, brothers and friends – really looked like. Being in this world of cold water, tiles and public showers changed my whole perspective.
And it’s not just me who found the lido to be their sanctuary of body acceptance. 22-year-old Dani from Hampshire found swimming at the lido a helpful way to find relief from chronic pain and to appreciate her body, too. “The lido has been a safe haven for me,” she says. “I feel confident in my body in the lido as any form of movement is now a huge privilege and I am grateful to be able to move in a way that brings me joy.”
But what is it about public swimming that help heal our relationship with our bodies? According to eating disorder psychologist Dr Rachel Evans, it’s likely to do with overcoming the fear of showing our bodies to the world.
“It’s important to remember that our mind filters incoming information to confirm our beliefs,” she says. “For example, if you’re worried that everyone is staring at you, then you’re likely to spot the one person who is looking in your direction. Instead, challenge yourself to look at the evidence for and against your belief; you’ll likely see that almost everyone is too busy getting changed to be looking at you. If you take a look around you will also see that everyone’s body is unique and special.”
Dr Evans adds that swimming “can help you feel more embodied and accepting of your body, rather than detached from it. You’re working with your body and accomplishing something together.”
That’s exactly what public swimming has done for me – made my body my teammate; not my enemy. I am 23 now, bigger than I have ever been before.
I exercise at least twice a week, I eat and enjoy cooking. Often, I am the slowest person in the pool, the biggest in the showers, the hairiest or the shortest – but I am more proud of my body than ever before. I am surrounded by real people, body-moving humans, enjoying the body that sustains their life.
So, when summer comes around again, I won’t be looking to Instagram for ‘bikini body inspo’ or to Tumblr for those tips on how to stay small. I will be looking to my local lido, and grinning with pride as I jump in, creating waves, happy splashing, loving the body that carries me through the cool water and lets me live this life.