What effects do wild swimming have on your body?

I’m sure that you have heard about wild swimming and the many positive effects it has on your body, but what exactly is wild swimming and what are some of the benefits?

Wild swimming is a type of swimming where someone is in a pool of natural water (usually cold water) with no man-made structures around. This can be in fresh or salt water.

The world of wild swimming has recently had an extraordinary increase in popularity as people have begun to realise the benefits it can have on your mental and physical health, some of the effects the cold water can have on your physical health are;

·         decreasing muscle ache and reduce recovery time

·         Boosting your immune system and brain power

·         Improving your blood circulation

·         It has been proved to boost your metabolism which may lead to potential weight loss

Some of the mental effects are;

·         Being able to better manage stress and anxiety

·         Increases in your alertness, clarity and energy levels

·         The feeling of achievement once you have warmed up

The list of positive factors of wild swimming rolls on and on but I don’t want to bore you so I will leave it there. Regardless it is evident that wild swimming is having a positive effect on many people’s lives.

My experience

My mum is an avid wild swimmer and enjoys going for a swim with her friends, she has taken me with her a few times too! I enjoy water sports like surfing, so the cold water doesn’t come as too much of a shock to me, but it never fails to wake me up. It is great fun whilst you are swimming although around 15 minutes in, I tend to get a bit too cold so I return to the safety of the beach and my heavily dry robe. It is always an amazing feeling when you enter the shower after a swim to warm up, I love it. Overall, wild swimming makes me and many others very happy (it is scientifically proven that wild swimming releases endorphins which is the happy hormone)

I highly suggest that you give wild swimming a go, you may be surprised with how much you enjoy it!