Benefits to open water swimming - Why is everyone doing it?

You have probably seen snaps of your friends all over Facebook finding waterfalls and lakes to jump in to, and you may well have been thinking "Why on Earth would you want to do that?"

Well, we're here to tell you just 5 of the reasons why cold water swimming has become the chosen therapy for so many. 

1. Finding a community and meeting new people - 
Taking up a new hobby is the best way to find yourself in a new community full of like-minded people, giving you the opportunity to meet new people and make some new friends.

2. Improves blood flow and circulation -
The shock of the cold water submerging your body will kickstart your blood flow to your vital organs as one of your body's many survival strategies. This encouragement of circulation strengthens your circulatory system leading to a healthier heart.

3. Improve feelings of anxiety and stress - 
When open water swimming, you find yourself able to fully switch off the mind from all the thoughts and worries from the day, allowing you to reconnect with the water and be present in nature, focusing only on that current moment in time.
Plus, the cold of the water won't leave you much room to think of anything else. 

4. Low impact to help joint recovery - 
Often with muscle injuries, a recommended way to improve it is to keep slowly working it, and with the water holding you up, you are abe to use and exercise the joints and muscles to strengthen their movement without the risk of injuring them further.

5. Weight loss -
Swimming is a form of low impact cardio exercise, so combining that with a balanced diet can lead to you losing weight and toning your overall body shape by buring calories and building muscle.

Risks:
As with everything, there comes some risks and you need to be careful. Be sensible and listen to your body and adjust your experience accordingly - not every body will adapt the same way to the cold water straight away. 
Take the time to do your own research before jumping in the deep end so that you can limit the risks for you and those around you.

Ready to get going? Check out our blog post about what to take with you for your first dip.