ColdWater Therapy

ColdWater Therapy

There has been a lot written recently about coldwater therapy and wild swimming. As children, we just called it swimming, from an early age we swam in the River Usk at Newbridge on Usk or as we called it Gypos tump. We would ride bikes that we often made or we would hitchhike from the coldra to the truck stop. Can you imagine most children these days riding a bike about 10 miles swim and play in the river all day then ride back, sadly only in a virtual online environment for many? I won’t go into the hitchhiking as I would not do it myself these days let alone let a child do it.

You may think that swimming in cold water is one of the last things you’d dream of doing, but there are significant health benefits attached to it.

Benefits

Believe it or not, there are some great benefits to performing cold water swimming! Here is a brief summary:

1. It boosts your immune system

The effects of cold water on the immune system have been studied widely. Coldwater helps to boost the white blood cell count because the body is forced to react to changing conditions. Over time, your body becomes better at activating its defences.

2. It gives you a natural high

Coldwater swimming activates endorphins. This chemical is what the brain produces to make us feel good during activities. Coldwater swimming is also a form of exercise, and exercise has been proven to treat depression. Coldwater swimming brings us close to the pain barrier. Endorphins are released when we’re in pain, to help us cope with it.

3. It improves your circulation

Coldwater swimming flushes your veins, arteries, and capillaries. It forces blood to the surface and helps to warm our extremities. Repeated exposure adapts us to the cold.

4. It increases your libido

Coldwater was traditionally seen to repress sexual urges. The fact is that it increases libido! A dip in some cold water boosts oestrogen and testosterone production, adding an edge to fertility and libido.

The benefits of increased libido include more confidence, higher self-esteem, and enhanced mood.

5. It burns calories

The heart has to pump faster in cold water and the body must work harder to keep everything warm while swimming. Overall, far more calories are burned during cold water swimming than swimming in warmer conditions. The idea that drinking cold water increases the number of calories you burn may be a myth, but it is a fact that cold water decreases your body temperature so much that the body must act.

6. It reduces stress

Coldwater swimming places stress on the body physically and mentally. Many studies have identified the link between cold water and stress reduction. Coldwater swimmers become calmer and more relaxed.

7. It is a great way of socialising and making new friends

There is a great sense of community and camaraderie amongst cold water swimmers. There is nothing that brings people together like facing a challenge and sharing the experience as a group.

Ongoing studies into the effects of coldwater therapy and menopause. The difficulty lies in that it is difficult to prove that it is specifically the cold water that is having the positive effect – as the aspects of socialising and doing exercise will both improve general health and wellbeing. What’s not to like?

A short video of why I do it.

Safety

You have to respect nature at any time of the year but even more so as the year progresses and we get into the winter months. Overall, the average sea temperature in the British Isles ranges from 6-10 °C in the winter to 15-20 °C in the summer depending on region and yearly variation. In the UK, inland waters can be as low as zero in winter to as high as the mid-20s in peak summer. The following link to Outdoor Swimmer has a detailed post regarding water safety.

Further information:

http://www.wildswimming.co.uk

https://wildswim.com/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-47159652 Coldwater and the menopause

We’re awash with anecdotal evidence that outdoor swimming helps promote good mental health.

Cold water adaptation

In September 2018, the British Medical Journal published a case report about the theories around cold water adaptation as a treatment for depression. Co-authored by Dr Mark Harper, a cold-water swimmer who was behind the BBC documentary, the report looks at the physical responses to swimming in cold water.

The theory is around our stress response and inflammation. Immersing yourself in cold water puts your body into fight or flight mode. Starting with the cold-water shock response, dipping into cold water puts your body under stress. As you repeat this experience, you diminish this stress response. And having a better rein on your stress response means being able to better cope with life’s many minor irritations that add up to chronic stress.

Stress Response

“Our bodies don’t differentiate between types of stress,” says Mark. “Every day low-level stresses make things worse, but the significant physical stress of getting into cold water attenuates our stress response as we adapt to it.”

This diminished stress response is about activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Known as the rest and digest system, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for slowing your heart rate and increasing intestinal and gland activity.

A key part of this system is the vagus nerve, which connects your brain to organs including your heart and lungs. It’s the tone of this vagus nerve that relates to mental health; if you have a high vagal tone, your parasympathetic nervous system is working and that means that your body can relax faster after stress. One way in which you can stimulate the vagus nerve and increase vagal tone is through cold water adaption. And this has been shown to help a range of mental health and nervous conditions from depression and anxiety to chronic fatigue, tinnitus and Alzheimer’s.

We also have an inflammatory response to threats, including stress and infections. “Inflammation and depression are linked,” says Mark. “Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen have an effect on depression. But all drugs have side effects. And we know that cold water adaptation reduces levels of inflammation.”

While some therapists suggest cold showers or immersing your face in cold water, it’s becoming clear that these techniques aren’t a patch on outdoor swimming. “Coldwater swimming is a holistic therapy,” says Mark. “Exercise, being in nature, community – the cold water is an additional effect.”