OUTSIDEKENT
COLD WATER SWIMMING
And Why We Need It
WORDS AND IMAGES BY LUCY MOHR
AS INDOOR SWIMMING POOLS AND GYMS SHUT DURING LOCKDOWN , AN ESTIMATED 4.1 MILLION PEOPLE TURNED TO WILD SWIMMING ACROSS THE UK . SO , WHAT IS IT ABOUT SWIMMING IN OUR CHILLY BRITISH WATERS THAT HAS CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF SO MANY ?
Pre lockdown , our pebble-dashed coastlines often looked like a dusty heirloom from our childhood , sparse of people and life . Since Covid-19 however , our beaches are now thriving with activity ; from the dog walkers to the young hanging out with their friends , life at the beach has had a new injection of vitality . But the most noticeable addition amongst the crowds are the sea swimmers . Where once , spotting a sea swimmer hobbling over the stones , or dashing to their towels was as likely as spotting a lost seal , now their unmistakable tent-like silhouettes ( that ’ ll be their dry-robes ) are as noticeable as the rift between the Royal family .
But it ’ s not just desperate measures for something to do that has reignited our long entrenched love for wild swimming . Cold water swimming is a part of our human condition and science is here to prove it . As marine biologist , Sir Alister Hardy explained further in the 1950s ; we ( along with the proboscis monkey ) are the only primate that regularly plays in water for the joy of it ; our offspring take naturally to it ; our hair is streamlined for it and we are also alone in our subcutaneous fat ( think whale ’ s blubber ), which allows us to keep warm and buoyant .
Our love affair with water has been evident throughout history . From our nymphs and sirens in Greek Mythology to the flooding of water references in our Romantic era . Wild swimming however , didn ’ t become a mainstream pastime until the Edwardian period , when even The Thames became a top holiday destination . But post-war when rivers bore the brunt of pollution and holidaying abroad became more accessible , wild swimming in the UK lost its allure . Until now .
So what exactly are the beneficial effects of cold water swimming ? Rosalind South , 40 , from Sellindge , who is swimming The English Channel this summer in memory of her husband , explains , “ The sense of euphoria you feel afterwards is addictive . It ’ s a huge mood booster .”
Echoing these sentiments is Iron Man , Andy Stewart from Hamstreet , who uses the sea all year round for his training . Stewart said , “ Back in 2011 , we ’ d be the only swimmers on the beach at 9am on a cold winter ’ s morning but the swimmer numbers have now increased dramatically .”
The list of health benefits for cold water swimming are also substantial ; it increases your libido ; improves circulation ; increases metabolism ; reduces stress ; improves mood ; gives you better sleep ; boosts your immune system and is a great way to socialise and meet new people .
Wim Hof , known as The Iceman , who has long hailed the benefits of cold water swimming says , “ We have become alienated from nature . But the cold is capable of bringing us back to what we once had lost .”
So perhaps , although lockdown has brought many negatives , it has also helped us rediscover one of life ’ s simple pleasures and perhaps also , a need we didn ’ t know we had .
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