Swimming’s effect on the physical and mental health of the population will be investigated by an independent commission established by the sport’s governing body.

The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) has put together the Health Commission for Swimming, which will be chaired by Health Education England chief executive Ian Cumming.

The group – which also includes Dr Justin Varney of Public Health England (PHE) and Ric Fordham from the University of East Anglia – will explore the current research around health and swimming, and provide evidence of positive swimming impacts on people’s wellbeing.

It was set up in response to the government’s Sporting Future document, which will measure the physical and mental impacts of sporting provision as a means to fund organisations and governing bodies.

Meeting several times throughout the year, the commission will report its findings at the end of 2016.

Cumming, who is a Level 3 swimming coach himself, acknowledged the “distinct shift in the national debate about the value of physical activity and the contribution it can make to the health of the nation”.

“Swimming is the only physical activity that can be done from birth right through to old age, and with over 16m people swimming at least twice a month, it is already well-placed to respond to many of the country’s key health and social concerns,” he added.

“This new commission will seek to identify and conclusively demonstrate how swimming can help combat a range of health conditions within the population.”

The launch of the commission also follows approval by the NHS Research Ethics Committee to conduct further research into the links between swimming and the quality of life of people living with dementia. The ASA has piloted the Dementia Friendly Swimming Project in eight locations around the country.

ASA chair Mike Farrar added: “The government’s new sport strategy inspired us to fully explain swimming’s ability to take up the challenges they have identified. The Health Commission for Swimming is an exciting opportunity for these to be examined by a range of industry experts, and to demonstrate the positive impact swimming has on the nation.”